Monday, 02 April 2018 07:55

Valtra going green

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We may be used to tractor manufacturer Valtra offering a choice of colours, but now it appears it’s gone green?

Not literally, but in being the world’s first tractor manufacturer to use Neste MY Renewable Diesel as the start-up fuel for all its tractors. This will result in 700,000L of fossil-derived diesel being replaced by a 100% renewable mixture.

Says the company, “In today’s world it is important that we demonstrate to our customers that we are taking decisive steps to protect the environment.” 

Neste MY is made from renewable wastes and residues, and produces 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fossil fuel. That cut roughly equals what you’d get by taking 560 cars off the road for a year or running tractors for 46,000 hours with no emissions.

It’s said to be high quality and to allow cold starts down to -34 degrees C, ideal for Scandinavian condition. Valtra will use the fuel to power the large fleet of forktrucks (no engine modifications) at its Suolahti site in Finland.

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is classed as a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), whereas the more traditional bio-diesel is known as fatty-acid methyl ester (FAME), not to be confused even though they both derive from organic sources.

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