Argent Materials switches fleet to renewable diesel in Bay Area

Argent Materials Inc. (Photo: Neste Corp.)

Since forming in 2013, Argent Materials Inc., a regional recycler of concrete and asphalt, and supplier of aggregate materials such as crushed rock, entry, cutback, sand, backfill and base rock for construction projects, has diverted more than a billion pounds of waste from local landfills. As a result, Argent has offset more than 97 million pounds of carbon from the atmosphere and removed a half-million pounds of trash from the streets of Oakland, California.

Now, thanks to Argent’s recent switch from petroleum diesel to Neste MY Renewable Diesel, it can add the elimination of fossil fuels from its vehicle and equipment fleet to its list of environmentally mindful business accomplishments.

Examining electric-driven solutions to the carbon and emissions footprint of Argent’s fleet, it became clear the best fit would be low-carbon, sustainable, biobased renewable diesel fuel, primarily due to the rugged duty cycles of its trucks and equipment.

“We decided to switch to renewable diesel once our quality and availability concerns were satisfied,” said Bill Crotinger, president of Argent Materials. “Our environmental track record and continual efforts to help our customers build more sustainable communities played a major role in our decision to use renewable diesel in our fleet. It was just another element of our philosophy to not just do the right thing, but make doing the right thing a normal part of doing business.”

Argent has a fleet of about 20 pieces of equipment comprised of wheel loaders, excavators, bobcats and a couple of water trucks.

“Our experience has been positive,” Crotinger said. “There’s no change in engine performance. We absolutely love the renewable nature of this product. We have noticed that the exhaust appears cleaner and seems less toxic.”

All of the renewable products Neste distributes in North America are made from 100 percent renewable and sustainably sourced waste materials such as used cooking oil, rendered fats and greases. These wastes come from meat processing facilities, hotels, restaurants, sports stadiums and many other venues with industrial kitchens.

Waste and residue materials contain a lot of carbon, one of the main building blocks for renewable diesel. Importantly, this is existing carbon already in the atmosphere, which means Neste MY Renewable diesel emits no new greenhouse gas emissions when used in its 100 percent pure—or “neat”—form in an engine.

The only new emissions occur during the production operations, which Neste aims to make carbon-neutral by 2035, and supply chain operations. Additionally, Neste is researching and developing a new generation of raw materials that could further enhance renewable diesel’s climate benefits—including municipal solid waste, algae, forestry waste and even converting electric power to liquids.

“We’re very excited Argent Materials has joined with thousands of other progressive-minded California companies and cities to kick the oil habit and make the switch to Neste MY Renewable Diesel,” said Carrie Song, vice president of sales for Neste US Inc.

Argent’s move to renewable diesel is in keeping with Neste’s overall approach to environmental sustainability in transportation and other sectors of the economy.

“Renewable diesel is a drop-in fuel that essentially transforms an internal combustion engine into equipment that helps fight climate change and air pollution,” Song said. “As California progresses toward a carbon-neutral future, renewable diesel offers fleet operators an affordable and quick way to stay ahead of emissions standards with no extra costs by turning their medium- and heavy-duty road vehicles from fossil fuel to fossil free. Like Neste, Argent is a leader in recycling solutions and proactively taking care of the environment. I’m confident Neste MY Renewable Diesel is not only providing a better fuel solution to Argent’s fleet, but is also delivering a distinct advantage to significantly decreasing its carbon footprint.”

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is available to public and private fleets in California through authorized distributors. Western States Oil, headquartered in San Jose, California, is the exclusive distributor of Neste MY Renewable Diesel to Argent Materials. Using exclusive distributors ensures supply chain integrity and guarantees its high quality.