BMW Testing HVO100 Renewable Diesel for Parts Delivery in Germany

BMW is testing the use of renewable HVO100 renewable diesel for parts delivery in Germany. Between BMW Plant Munich and Landau an der Isar, about 120 km to the northeast, four trucks operated by the logistics provider Guggemos (GV Trucknet) have been running on renewable HVO100 diesel since December 2022 as part of a one-year pilot programme to trial the new fuel.

In March 2023 the HVO100 test fleet was expanded to include another six trucks, this time belonging to DB Schenker. They commute between the BMW Group Supply Centre in Eching, just north of Munich, to deliver warehouse parts to the plant in the city for production—a round trip of a good 40 km each time.

HVO100 (100%, or neat, renewable diesel) is made from various waste products, residues and renewable raw materials, including used cooking oil. Compared with fossil diesel, it produces up to 90% less CO2 well-to-wheel. On average, fuel consumption is about 3% higher with HVO100, but the ten trucks currently piloting the fuel—also known as “Neste MY Renewable Diesel”, made by Finland’s Neste—for the BMW Group are expected to emit up to 800 tonnes less CO2 a year than they would with conventional diesel.

The progressive HVO100 pilot project is the next step in the consistent implementation of the BMW Group’s Green Transport Logistics Strategy—an integral part of the BMW iFACTORY. The BMW Group already uses electric and gas-powered trucks at various sites, and at the Hydrogen Competence Centre in Leipzig, floor conveyors are fueled with hydrogen for everyday operations.

Electric trucks are already operating at BMW Group Plant Munich.

The use of HVO100 in logistics brings another sustainable technology to BMW Group Plant Munich. It plays a valuable part in helping the company achieve its sustainability goals and represents a further component in the plant’s transformation to a BMW iFACTORY with a LEAN, GREEN, DIGITAL approach.

—Peter Weber, Director of BMW Group Plant Munich

Michael Nikolaides, Head of BMW Group Production Network and Logistics, sees some major advantages in the simple use of HVO100: vehicles and engines require no modifications to run on the eco-friendly fuel, and HVO can be used pure or mixed with fossil fuel in any ratio. It can also be supplied via the existing fuel station infrastructure.

The BMW Group’s partner on the current HVO100 pilot project is Neste. Its hydrotreated vegetable oil is based on its patented NEXBTL technology and produced purely from renewable raw materials, with plant oils being converted to hydrocarbons through a catalytic reaction with hydrogen.