Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2021 - 32

Q&A
Neste targets hard-to-electrify vehicles
for renewable diesel
Commercial vehicles run under a wide range of operating
conditions and duty cycles - not all are well-suited for battery-electric propulsion, particularly in the near term. For
those hard-to-electrify vehicles, renewable diesel is a viable
option to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions " practically overnight, " according to Matt Leuck, technical manager for
Renewable Road Transportation in North America for Neste,
which claims to be the world's largest producer of renewable
diesel and jet fuel.
Preparing to participate in the " Low/
Zero Carbon Fuels " technical session
during the SAE Government/Industry
Digital Summit on February 2-3, Leuck
said that Neste sees strong, sustained
growth for renewable diesel in mediumand heavy-duty road vehicles, as well as
in other segments such as mobile machines used at mines and construction
sites. " In fact, demand growth has the
potential to increase fivefold in the decades ahead, " he shared. " This growth is
driven by two key things: end-users are
setting ambitious climate goals, and
governments are adopting policies that
incentivize the use of low-emission renewable fuels. "
For example, Neste was one of the
first companies to introduce renewable
diesel into Oregon after the state adopted its Clean Fuels Program. A partnership with Portland-based fuel distributor Carson was extended in
December 2020 to a multi-year contract, providing Neste MY Renewable
Diesel for Carson's government and
commercial customer base across the Pacific Northwest.
To help address such increased demand, Neste plans to bring
online " significant " new renewable-diesel production capacity in
2023, expand its network of fueling stations and sign on new
distributors, said Leuck, who addressed additional questions
from editor Ryan Gehm ahead of the SAE event.

trification and other zero-emission solutions to mature and
become competitive.
Are there any impediments to running renewable diesel in
existing trucks?
No, because renewable diesel is a pure hydrocarbon fuel that
meets the ASTM D975 diesel fuel standard, it is a 'drop in' replacement for fossil diesel. It can be run 'neat' at 100% and is
not subject to the blend limits that other biofuels are bound by.
It's also fully compatible with all existing
infrastructure, so there's no need to
change pumps, lines, tanks, storage,
transportation logistics, etc. It's fully fungible with fossil diesel, so a user doesn't
even need to drain their current tank.
This becomes a competitive advantage
for the oil and gas industry, because they
can use their downstream infrastructure
to make, move and store renewable fuels
with little to no modifications.
Matt Leuck, Neste
technical manager

" Fleet operators can
transform their vehicles
from fossil fuel to
fossil-free practically
overnight and with no
extra costs. "

What do you say to fleet managers who are hearing electrification is the way forward?
Renewable diesel and electrification are important solutions,
and each must play a role. Renewable diesel is a 'today' solution, while electrification is a great long-term goal. Right now,
fleet operators can transform their vehicles from fossil fuel to
fossil-free practically overnight and with no extra costs simply
by choosing to fill up with renewable diesel. Our planet and
communities cannot afford to wait 10, 20 or 30 years for elec32 February 2021

What are the main feedstocks?
The renewable diesel Neste sells in the
U.S. is made from sustainably sourced raw
materials with approved pathways under
California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard and
the EPA. Namely, these are waste and residue materials, such as used cooking oil,
beef tallow, fish fat and distillers corn oil.

Is the supply chain established to grow
the market?
Yes, a number of production projects are
on the horizon, and Neste believes there
is more than enough feedstock available
to meet growing demand. For our part, Neste has been continuing to invest in our supply chain. Our acquisition of Mahoney
Environmental in the U.S., for example, provides us a competitive edge in the used cooking-oil market, with room to grow.
Any differences in burning renewable diesel vs. fossil diesel?
Renewable diesel has a slightly lower energy content per volume, but higher energy content by mass. Most fleet owners
report fuel consumption on par with fossil-based diesel.
Are there feedstocks in the R&D phase that look promising?
Neste is researching and developing a new generation of
feedstock that could further enhance the already great benefits of our renewable fuels - like algae, municipal solid
waste, forestry waste and even converting power to liquids.

Ryan Gehm

TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2021

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