Volvo Group Australia fills trucks built at Wacol, Queensland, factory with 100% renewable diesel

Photo: Volvo Group Australia

As Volvo Group Australia works toward meeting its 2030 emissions-reductions target, it announced that beginning in December all Volvo and Mack trucks built at Volvo Group Australia’s Wacol factory in Queensland will be filled with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, instead of diesel fuel.

Volvo Group recently signed a 12-month agreement with Ampol to supply HVO100 to its fleet of trucks built at the Wacol factory. 

“The recent recognition of HVO100 as a fuel on the Australian market has allowed us to speed up our adoption of this renewable fuel as a part of our manufacturing process,” said Martin Merrick, the president and CEO of Volvo Group Australia. “While HVO is not strictly a zero-emissions fuel, it is a fossil-free alternative that reduces well-to-wheel emissions by up to 90 percent, which makes a significant step forward in reducing our environmental impact.”

Merrick added that Volvo Group Australia will continue to take steps to cut its emissions and meet its decarbonization targets by thinking globally while acting locally.

Volvo Trucks first adopted the HVO first-fill program at its Tuve, Sweden, factory in 2022.

This Australian announcement, however, represents the first time a multibranded Volvo Group manufacturing facility has implemented this approach with fossil-free fuels. 

HVO100 is a renewable and sustainable synthetic fuel made from vetted waste vegetable oils and animal fats.

It has a low carbon footprint, zero sulfur and can be used in Volvo Group engines without any modifications.

It can be used as a standalone fuel or blended with diesel without impacting service intervals or engine components.

HVO100 is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fuels.

Volvo Group added that it has adopted science-based emissions targets.

As a result, the group is targeting net-zero value-chain emissions by 2040 to allow it to meet net-zero targets by 2050.