Valtra saves over 15,000 tons of GHG emissions with renewable diesel at factory in Suolahti, Finland

Photo: Valtra

Finnish Valtra, a globally operating tractor manufacturer belonging to AGCO Corp., has reached a significant milestone by having used altogether 5 million liters (1.32 million gallons) of Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ as a factory-fill fuel as well as in testing and in its factory forklift trucks at its Suolahti factory in Finland.

By replacing fossil fuel with Neste’s renewable diesel, Valtra has prevented over 15,000 tons of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from entering the atmosphere.

The amount is equivalent to the GHG emissions resulting from the use of fossil fuel in a Valtra T Series tractor continuously for 390,000 hours at 30 percent to 40 percent engine load, when all emissions over the lifecycle of the fuel are taken into account.

Neste and Valtra have collaborated since 2017, when Valtra became the first tractor factory in the world to fill its new tractors with Neste MY Renewable Diesel that reduces GHG emissions by up to 75 percent to 95 percent over the fuel’s lifecycle when compared to fossil diesel. 

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a fuel made from 100 percent renewable raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat from food-industry waste.

The new Valtra tractors, powered by Neste MY Renewable Diesel, are exported from Suolahti, Finland, to over 75 countries globally.

“At Valtra, we are committed to sustainability, and among our initiatives, we work on emission reduction, energy consumption, waste management and the efficient use of resources,” said Mikko Lehikoinen, a managing director of Valtra. “With our decision to switch to Neste MY Renewable Diesel as the first-fill fuel, we have reduced our own emissions and shown our customers, tens of thousands of farmers globally, that their tractors can run on renewable diesel. Also, older Valtra tractors run well on renewable diesel.”

Joni Pihlström, Neste’s vice president of marketing and services, added, “Neste’s target is to help its customers reduce their GHG emissions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. I’m proud of our long-standing partnership and Neste MY Renewable Diesel supporting Valtra’s emission-reduction targets, which also helps increase the awareness of Neste MY Renewable Diesel as a lower-emission solution among farmers. Recently, we expanded our collaboration when we joined the Finnish Future Farm project, a three-year EU-funded program taking place at the bioeconomy campus in Saarijärvi, Finland. The program enables the use and development of solutions that minimize GHG emissions and improve economic profitability of arable farming of grass and grain. When combating climate change, both already existing and new solutions are needed.”