Biogenic fuels provide an immediate, easily adaptable and low-cost way to reduce carbon. Food shippers have emerged as bold leaders in pursuing sustainability goals and 100% biodiesel (B100), fueled by nature, is praised by major manufacturers, fleets and the ATA as a strategy to lower emissions now.
Many sustainability professionals at America’s largest food and retail companies echo the comments of a corporate sustainability expert and former sustainability vice president for a Fortune 50 retailer: “Scope 3 emissions are one of the things that keep me up at night.”
Organizations like the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) attribute these complexities to the reality that we live in the “messy middle,” or the decades in which America and the world transitions to sustainable power and fuels. This transition clearly includes significant disruptions to the trucking industry, which accounts for 28% of US GHG emissions annually, according to the US EPA.
We may not be able to short-circuit the messiness of change, but food shippers and their carrier partners can act today. And one place to start is to evaluate how your trucking network can integrate biogenic fuels.
It Is ironic that one of that one of the most effective solutions to the climate issues caused by greenhouse gas emissions lies in nature itself. Nature can fuel progress to the low carbon future, and 100% biodiesel (B100) – a biogenic diesel fuel replacement, with a near-zero carbon emissions profile, provides a great example of nature at work.
Made from recycled cooking oil, agricultural byproducts, and waste animal fats, biogenic fuels are clean, renewable and, typically, domestically produced. They’ve been called out as a financially viable and immediate strategy by manufacturers such as Volvo and Cummins, major fleets, and trucking trade associations, including the American Trucking Association.
B100 avoids the food versus fuel dichotomy because it recycles a waste product or agricultural byproduct. It’s also more widely produced and available than other renewable fuels. Biodiesel can be found at almost all major travel centers across the US, typically blended with diesel fuel onsite in blend ratios from 5-20%, with a proportional reduction in GHG emissions. In addition to significant carbon reductions, pure biodiesel costs significantly less to deploy than technology shifts like electrification or hydrogen and can be deployed today without waiting years for new infrastructure development.
Cummins noted earlier this year that, “Biodiesel can lower emissions, reduce operating costs, improve fleet performance, and integrate easily with existing vehicle fleets… A key feature of biodiesel is its versatility and compatibility with existing diesel engines. It can be used in pure form (B100) or blended with petroleum diesel at any concentration… This flexibility allows customers to make an easy transition to cleaner biofuels, leveraging the growing availability of biodiesel in the existing fuel distribution infrastructure.”
Optimus’ technology upgrades existing diesel engines, removing the current 20% maximum blend limits and maintaining business resilience by never inhibiting the use of diesel, if necessary. Fleets deploying our ecosystem of products can use 100% biogenic fuel and reduce carbon emissions by 100% compared to diesel, according to the Global Reporting Initiative’s GHG Protocol. An American Transportation Research Institute study found that the full lifecycle emissions from a B100 powered Class 8 truck are 2.5 times less CO2 than an equivalent electric truck, due to the significant environmental impact of the processes used to make the batteries that power heavy-duty electric vehicles.
The facts clearly show that biogenic fuels provide an immediate, easily adaptable and low-cost way for fleets to meet Scope 1 and 3 emissions goals.
These realities drove me, as a young engineer, to begin experimenting with biodiesel two decades ago and to launch a company which, for the last nearly fifteen years has proven the roadworthiness and reliability of biodiesel for Class 8 heavy-duty trucks. We have developed a complete ecosystem to support a fleet’s transition to low carbon fuels. We’ve crafted a seamless and reliable process encompassing everything from biofuel dispensing and carbon emission tracking, to patented fuel system products that make 100% biodiesel use viable in all operating conditions.
In its infancy as an energy source, biodiesel encountered some early challenges around quality that have contributed to some persistent concerns that cause many fleets to hesitate to adopt biogenic fuels. One of the most prevalent myths is that biodiesel cannot perform in cold temperatures. We know from millions of miles of on-road experience that this is not an issue.
Additionally, extensive testing at Analytical Engineering’s Drive-In Cold Cell facility in Columbus, Indiana validates our on-road experiences with engines operating on 100% biodiesel even at -30ºF. The quality of fuel also has been upgraded as the industry evolved and matured; today’s biodiesel standards not only match, but exceed, those set for traditional diesel.
After almost a decade of development and testing, in 2018 we began installing our technology to upgrade snowplows and garbage trucks in cities like Washington, DC, Madison, Wisconsin, and Ames, Iowa. In fact, the fleet manager in Ames often tells the story of a tough blizzard his community experienced the very first weekend after upgrading with Optimus to use 100% biodiesel. His team was on high alert about performing in inclement weather but, as he explains, “We never had a single issue.”
Additional evidence about biogenic fuel performance emerged in 2022. Our team, ADM Trucking, and numerous industry partners completed a comprehensive16-month, 1.3 million mile study focused on biodiesel’s impact on engines. The study concluded these upgraded trucks perform exceptionally well, with no unscheduled downtime, no issues with fuel dispensing, no maintenance challenges such as plugged filters or detectable levels of fuel in the engine oil and, as previously mentioned, no impact on operations even in sub-zero temperatures. In addition, the study also showed a dramatic improvement in Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) performance and operation, providing an overall maintenance benefit.
This research backs up what we’ve now proven with over 30 million over the road miles with customers like PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, ADM, Growmark, and others: biogenic fuels like B100 perform reliably, do not require additional maintenance, and make the low carbon transition far less messy for fleet operators.
At a cost of 75% less than EVs, biofuel upgrades can be profitably integrated into existing business models, making it a low-risk option to reduce fleet emissions.
Food shippers have emerged as bold leaders in pursuing sustainability goals. You know well the power of nature to provide for some of humankind’s greatest needs. It makes sense that natural products can also help us reduce carbon and ensure a safer, healthier future for us all.
Click here to learn more about Optimus Technologies’ solutions.
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