Rota Sustentável COP30 records 99% reduction in GHG emissions with Be8 BeVant® biofuel in Mercedes-Benz Euro 6 engines

Photo: Be8

Brazil-based biodiesel producer Be8 announced in November that it and Mercedes-Benz do Brasil collected significant data in comparative tests evaluating 100 percent biofuel in Euro 6 engines equipped with BlueTec 6 technology.

The “Rota Sustentável COP30” covered more than 4,000 kilometers on Brazilian roads, departing from Passo Fundo and arriving in Belém, host city of COP30.

The purpose of this initiative is, on an experimental basis, to compare greenhouse-gas (GHG) emission levels of Mercedes-Benz Euro 6 engines with BlueTec 6 technology, which equip two Actros Evolution 2553 6x2 trucks and two O 500 RSDD 8x2 buses fueled with commercial B15 diesel and with Be8 BeVant® biofuel.

According to preliminary calculations performed by the Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia, which carried out the measurements following robust, transparent and auditable technical protocols, the caravan achieved an approximate 99 percent reduction in GHG emissions in the evaluation using 100 percent biofuel in Euro 6 engines under the “tank-to-wheel” concept.

This occurs because the biofuel used—produced from renewable sources such as soybean oil—has already absorbed CO2-equivalent from the atmosphere during cultivation.

In other words, what was emitted by the vehicle while driving was largely offset by what the plants removed from the air before becoming fuel.

Examining the complete well-to-wheel cycle, which considers everything from fuel production to its use, preliminary data indicated a reduction of around 65 percent in CO2-equivalent emissions, according to Be8.

“It is important to emphasize that the reduction of around 65 percent in CO2-equivalent emissions is not even higher because Brazil already uses B15 as its commercial diesel blend,” said Luiz Carlos Moraes, the director of communications and institutional relations at Mercedes-Benz do Brasil. “This means that a vehicle fueled with Be8 BeVant® will avoid emitting approximately 532 tons of CO2-equivalent if it travels 700,000 kilometers, as stipulated by the Proconve P8 (Euro 6) standard.”

Moraes continued, saying, “This evaluation initiative is extremely significant for Mercedes-Benz and Be8 because it promoted real-world analyses with fully loaded trucks and buses traveling across Brazilian highways, using an alternative biofuel that represents a short-term solution for decarbonizing the freight and passenger-transport sector. It is a bold project that brought together two companies deeply engaged and firmly committed to the decarbonization of transport.”

Camilo Adas, Be8’s director of energy transition and institutional relations, added, “This was a journey carried out with precision in planning and excellence in execution. The objective of demonstrating Be8 BeVant® as a decarbonization solution for the present was fully achieved, bringing recognition and respect on every road and at every station we passed.”

Be8 President Erasmo Carlos Battistella said, “The results are highly significant—performance was similar in consumption and power, with the difference that Be8 BeVant® emissions are infinitely lower. This confirms that the new biofuel represents an immediate and accessible solution for cargo and passenger-transport companies in Brazil.”

In addition to the more than 4,000 kilometers of comparative driving, the Mercedes-Benz and Be8 partnership also includes the exhibition of the Actros Evolution 2553 6x2 fueled with Be8 BeVant® at the Be8 booth in the Green Zone, the activity area of COP30.

During the Nov. 10-21 event, this solution will be presented to authorities, specialists, visitors and international media.

During the “Rota Sustentável COP30” tests, the measurement and comparison of emissions between Be8 BeVant® and B15 diesel in the four vehicles were carried out by the Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia of São Paulo State, a nationally recognized institution in scientific and technological education and research.

The comparative CO2-equivalent emission calculations were supported by robust, transparent and auditable technical parameters that measured the environmental impacts of replacing B15 diesel with Be8 BeVant®, aligned with international best practices in lifecycle analysis and corporate-emissions inventories.

The methodological approach followed recognized standards (GHG Protocol, ISO 14064) and used data certified by programs such as RenovaBio and the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System GmbH, ensuring traceability and comparability of results.

RenovaBio is Brazil’s national biofuels policy, and ISCC is a global voluntary sustainability certification for biomass and bioenergy.

Both aim to promote the production and use of more sustainable fuels.

“The participation of the Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia in the Rota Sustentável COP30 demonstrates the importance of applying our expertise in vehicle testing and fuel evaluation,” said Professor Renato Romio. “Mauá ensures credibility of the results by adopting a methodology based on comparative measurements in real-world conditions. Initiatives like this reinforce the relevance of applied research to guide public policies and strategic decisions focused on energy efficiency and technological innovation in the transport sector.”

Rota Sustentável COP30

Mercedes-Benz do Brasil and Be8 launched the “Rota Sustentável COP30” Oct. 20.

The departure took place Oct. 21 at Be8’s plant in Passo Fundo.

After stops at Mercedes-Benz do Brasil headquarters in São Bernardo do Campo Oct. 23 and in Brasília Oct. 30, the final destination was Pará, passing through Belém, host city of COP30, and continuing to Santo Antônio do Tauá, where Be8 has a facility—totaling more than 4,000 kilometers traveled on Brazilian highways.

The entire initiative is directly connected to the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), the world’s largest and most relevant forum for climate negotiations.

Two Actros Evolution 2553 6x2 trucks with the 550-horsepower BlueTec 6 OM 471 engine—the most powerful of the brand in Brazil—equipped with the robustness kit, were used for CO2-equivalent emissions comparison.

One was fueled with Be8 BeVant® biofuel and the other with commercial B15 diesel.

The same comparison was performed using two O 500 RSDD 8x2 intercity buses with the 380-horsepower BlueTec 6 OM 460 engine, also powered with Be8 BeVant® and with commercial B15 diesel.

Be8 BeVant® is a renewable biofuel that offers remarkable advantages over others available on the market, according to Be8, and can be used at 100 percent purity in diesel engines.

It reduces GHG emissions and provides additional benefits such as a low acidity index, freedom from contaminants, high ester content—improving combustion—and greater lubricity, eliminating the need for chemical additives.

Be8 BeVant® has the potential to reduce tank-to-wheel emissions by up to 99 percent compared with fossil diesel.

With higher ester content, it reduces carbon-monoxide emissions by up to 50 percent, particulate matter by up to 85 percent and black smoke by up to 90 percent.

Its quality is confirmed through greater lubricity, considering ultra-low sulfur diesel at a maximum of 2 parts per million (ppm), monoglyceride content below 0.25 percent, total residual contamination below 2 ppm, and 35 percent lower water content.