Shell and Hoyer launch low-carbon fuel pilot

Shell is running a low-carbon fuel pilot programme in partnership with Hoyer to help decarbonise its UK supply chain.

The initiative sees Shell switching part of its UK fuel delivery fleet, operated by Hoyer, to the new Gd45 GTL Fuel as a drop-in alternative to diesel fuel.

The pilot programme began in May 2022 and will run for six months, with Shell saying it has the potential to reduce CO2e emissions by more than a third (40%).

After analysing the outcomes, Shell aims to expand the initiative across its UK supply operations and to its commercial road transport customers.

The new fuel was co-developed by Shell and Green Biofuels, and is formulated using 45% hydrotreated vegetable oil GD+ and Shell GTL fuel, a diesel alternative derived from natural gas, it offers a cleaner burn than crude oil-based diesel.

“Balancing demand and the need for more sustainable operations is a key challenge for businesses across the industry,” said Steve Brown, distribution operations manager for the UK at Shell.  

“With this pilot programme, we hope to demonstrate that switching to lower-carbon fuel alternatives doesn’t need to be a complex process and drop-in solutions are an effective way for fleets to progress their environmental goals.”

He continued: “With Gd45 powered by Shell GTL Fuel, we see a future fuel that can drive down emissions across the sector.

“We are pleased to be working closely with our partner Hoyer in the UK to lead the way in commercial road transport decarbonisation by not only offering innovative solutions for our customers, but also by using them to decrease our own carbon footprint.”

Allan Davison, business unit director, at Hoyer, said: “Our pilot with Shell is already yielding positive results and we are proud to be leading the way in this area.

“The drop-in nature of Gd45 makes it an especially attractive option for emissions reduction, helping fleets to decarbonise without having to carry out an expensive conversion process.

“We look forward to expanding our efforts to improve our environmental impact through initiatives like this and establishing new routes forward for the UK commercial road transport industry.”