Renewable Energy Group changing industry’s carbon footprint

Pressure is mounting for fleet owners to curb carbon emissions as the transportation sector accounted for about 27% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

But how? What needs to change?

Todd Ellis, vice president of sales at Renewable Energy Group (REG), believes the answer is simple: renewable fuels.

“The solution that is available today at scale is bio-based diesel,” said Ellis, noting during an episode of FreightWaves’ WHAT THE TRUCK?!? that REG is at the right place at the right time.

REG, a global producer and supplier of renewable fuels, is one of the largest producers of biodiesel and one of the first producers of renewable diesel in the U.S. REG is helping the transportation industry meet sustainability goals with the company’s line of EnDura Fuels.

This includes InfiniD, a lower-carbon, biodiesel solution; PuriD, a next-generation biodiesel fuel for use at higher biodiesel blends year-round; VelociD, a lower-carbon, renewable diesel that can be blended at almost any level; BeyonD, a lower-carbon sustainable aviation fuel; and UltraClean BlenD, a proprietary, renewable fuel combination of VelociD and PuriD.

Ellis explained in fact, when compared to other fuel alternatives, bio-based diesel’s carbon reduction is about 88% more effective than conventional ultra-low sulfur diesel and about 85% more effective than compressed natural gas. He said bio-based diesels stack up similar to electric vehicles, reducing approximately 65% more carbon emissions.

“We produced fuels that contributed to a carbon reduction of 4.1 million metric tons in 2021,” Ellis said. “That’s the equivalent of reducing CO₂ emissions from 1.2 million passenger vehicles in one year.”

You would think such improvements would require significant investments to be implemented on behalf of motor carriers. However, “minimal investments are needed to begin using biofuels,” Ellis noted. Most of REG’s innovations can be found nationwide and in 19 countries. In fact, Ellis said InfiniD and VelociD are readily available and being used by customers across a wide network of locations and industries such as on road, marine, mining and rail.

All major OEMs support biodiesel blends up to B5, meaning the fuel is 5% biodiesel and 95% petroleum diesel. Nearly 90% of medium- and heavy-duty truck OEMs support B20. 

Ellis added that most truck stops either blend biodiesel with conventional or 100% renewable content fuels, such as REG’s UltraClean BlenD found in California.

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