ACCIONA is working with the Australian Construction Association to champion Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) — a renewable diesel that drastically cuts greenhouse-gas emissions.

What Is HVO and Why Does It Matter?

HVO is produced through the hydro-processing of vegetable oils and fats, resulting in a fuel that behaves identically to conventional diesel — but with dramatically lower emissions. According to the National Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reporting Scheme, HVO reduces over 99% of Scope 1 emissions (tailpipe emissions) compared to traditional diesel.

Critically, it requires no modifications to existing machinery and has no adverse effects on machine output. That makes it a practical, immediately deployable solution for heavy construction equipment.

ACCIONA's HVO Trial

ACCIONA is uniquely positioned to road-test this renewable fuel in a real-world construction environment, using heavy machinery to demonstrate its effectiveness at scale.

"HVO provides a remarkably sustainable alternative to traditional diesel fuel with no modifications and no adverse effects to machine output," said General Manager Plant & Equipment, Hamish MacCormick. "Our leadership in sustainable practices drives us to investigate carbon-reducing solutions like this."

46,000 litres of HVO were purchased through the ACCIONA decarbonisation fund and tested in earthmoving equipment at the MacIntyre Wind Farm in Queensland.

Leading the Way for the Industry

By being among the first in the construction industry to adopt HVO — and funding the trial internally — ACCIONA is doing more than reducing its own emissions. The company is helping kick-start a domestic HVO supply chain and demonstrating to the broader industry that low-emission alternatives are viable today.

"We hope our use of HVO will encourage further demand and eventually bring the costs down through increased supply and demand," said Hamish. Increased uptake across Australia will spur local HVO production and create a meaningful carbon-reduction option for heavy vehicle operators nationally.

ACCIONA is currently investigating further use cases for HVO across its Australian projects, with another trial planned for 2024.