A new study commissioned by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has claimed that HVO100 and biodiesel made from cooking oil may be more harmful to the climate than previously believed, particularly when the full lifecycle – from production to consumption – is considered.
DUH commissioned research by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu), to investigate whether the promised CO₂ savings of close to 90% from the production of biodiesel hold true when the entire value chain is assessed.
Environmental impact
The research claims that the environmental impact from palm oil production in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia negates the positive benefits of biodiesel, with Jürgen Resch, federal director, DUH, going so far as to label HVO100 as a “scam”, arguing that its environmental benefits are largely illusory.
‘”HVO100 made from used cooking oil is at least as harmful to the climate as fossil diesel,” he said. “The claim that diesel made from French fry fat can reduce CO₂, emissions by almost 90% compared to fossil diesel has nothing to do with reality.
“Instead of saving CO₂, HVO100 and other products cause additional emissions and environmental destruction through rising demand for palm oil.”
HVO100
The sale of HVO100 has been permitted in Germany since May 2024, with two thirds of HVO used in the country coming from palm oil residues, according to DUH.
“We call on the German government to immediately halt the use of HVO100 made from used cooking oil and end its subsidies,” Resch added. “Instead of false solutions like using used cooking oil in fuel tanks, we need a clear focus on electromobility in road traffic and a genuine transport transition.”
Elsewhere, Axel Friedrich, a transport expert, noted that the use of palm oil residues in HVO production has increased “significantly”, overlooking the level of methane emissions released during palm oil production, which have a far stronger warming effect than CO₂. Read more here.
