A first pilot test held in
Daimler AG, Deutsche Post DHL, the energy group OMV, the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG public transportation company, and the Finnish oil company Neste Oil took part in a discussion-oriented event titled "Diesel from renewable sources – A step toward zero-emission transportation?" At the event, the companies presented the initial results of their joint pilot test project focusing on fuel from sustainable production. Since mid-2008, 14 series-produced Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses that run exclusively on sustainably produced NExBTL renewable diesel have been in service under everyday conditions in
The field test shows that the combustion of the alternative diesel fuel from hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in the engines results in significantly reduced emissions of pollutants. For example, emissions of nitrogen oxides decrease up to 15%. The overall CO2 balance is also positive: From the sustainable cultivation of palm oil and its processing to the fuel’s use in a vehicle, the CO2 emissions of the fuel used in the pilot test have been reduced by more than 60% compared to fossil fuels.
The project is planned to run for a three-year period ending in 2011 with Deutsche Post DHL operating 10 Mercedes-Benz trucks consisting of five medium-duty Mercedes-Benz Atego trucks and five heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz Actros vehicles. In addition, Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG has four Mercedes-Benz Citaro city buses on the road, which all run on NExBTL renewable diesel. Neste Oil produces the biofuel, and OMV is responsible for supplying the fuel to the project partners.
"As a global logistics company that operates a large fleet of vehicles, we want to actively support research into biofuels from renewable sources. That’s because we think that second- and third-generation biofuels can significantly reduce our carbon footprint," says Steffen Frankenberg, company strategist at Deutsche Post DHL, who also is responsible for the company’s "GoGreen" climate protection program.