HVO – The Future of Liquid Heating

 

“HVO” Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil is a certified net zero carbon fuel produced from waste cooking oils and fats. Homes currently on Kerosene heating can easily transition to this fuel with minor conversions to their existing system to make a true environmental change now.  

 Liquid biofuels in form of HVO is a true sustainable and sensible approach to off gas grid decarbonisation. Minimum capital expenditure for end user will mean greater uptake compared to complete invasive/disruptive works required to fit alternative energies for no actual benefit to homeowner nor environment.

For Home heating government should recognise HVO and liquid fuel firing technology as an alternative to less environmentally friendly domestic heating proposals such as electrification that currently rely on a non green energy grid.

HVO has an essential role to play and the deployment must be supported.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Challenge 

  • Kerosene is currently used to heat around 1.5 million homes in the UK (6%) 
  • It generates tens and thousands of jobs for service personnel 
  • UK government aim to bring all carbon emissions down to net zero by 2050   
  • Air source heat pumps and biomass boilers appear to have good emissions statistics, but have poor utilisation in UK because of high setup and installation costs and are simply not suitable for many off gas grid property due to property age and design 
  • Rural properties are often older and poorly insulated, and improving these homes will require serious investment with few economies of scale

 

The Solution 

“HVO “Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil is a certified net zero carbon fuel produced from waste cooking oils and fats. Homes currently on Kerosene heating homes can easily transition to this fuel with minor conversions to their existing system to make a true environmental change. 

HVO is available in the UK, currently is largely being marketed and used as an alternative to diesel, with a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The global supply also continues to increase

The properties of HVO are more likened to kerosene than diesel.   

 

The Benefits 

  • The similarities allow for the easy modification of existing heating oil installations to use HVO
  • A benefit of HVO is the absence of aromatics like traditional crude oil derived fuels, making it safer to handle
  • Another benefit is the higher flashpoint of 61 degrees Celsius. Making a good argument to declassify its categorisation as a flammable liquid
  • Pure HVO is a fully biodegradable substance, so therefore can be classed as a non-pollutant

 

The Future 

The right policy support would give the UK industry the green light to further invest in domestic production & deployment. End user investment in modern modulating boilers utilising smart OpenTherm controls with proven savings up to 15% are easily achievable and couple with a truly renewable bio liquid home owners can then be satisfied they are really making a difference to the environment and to their pockets.

To find out more email technical@eogb.co.uk and discover that going green doesn’t mean having to replace your whole system!

 

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