What is HVO?
HVO stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, also known as renewable diesel. Neste refers to its renewable diesel, an HVO100 fuel, as Neste MY Renewable DieselTM. It is produced from renewable raw materials.
What is Neste MY Renewable Diesel™?
Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a renewable fuel for diesel engines, a so-called HVO or HVO100 diesel. Neste MY Renewable Diesel is produced from renewable raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a solution for reducing the transport sector’s greenhouse gas emissions* by replacing fossil fuel use.
HVO fuels can be used pure (100% concentration), as well as blended in any ratio with fossil diesel. Neste MY Renewable Diesel complies with the EN15940 specifications for paraffinic diesel fuel.
*) Neste MY Renewable Diesel sold in the EU and Asia-Pacific is an HVO fuel fulfilling the EU RED sustainability criteria, including the requirement to provide at least a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over its life cycle compared to fossil fuel.
How is HVO made at Neste?
Sourcing renewable raw materials globally
Neste uses a wide variety of renewable raw materials to produce Neste MY Renewable Diesel. In 2025, 95 % of our global renewable raw material inputs were waste and residues.
Proportions of individual raw materials vary year-to-year and across regions, depending on their availability, price, and market-specific requirements.
Purifying raw materials to produce HVO100
Renewable raw materials are pretreated to remove impurities.
Harnessing NEXBTL innovation
To produce Neste MY Renewable Diesel, we turn a wide variety of renewable raw materials into high-quality renewable products with our proprietary NEXBTL™ technology. Turning diverse renewable raw materials into pure hydrocarbons requires several process steps. During these steps, renewable raw materials are converted into a hydrocarbon product with properties and energy density similar to regular fossil diesel.
Drive on Neste MY Renewable Diesel
The end result? Neste MY Renewable Diesel, a HVO100 fuel, which can reduce transportation’s greenhouse gas emissions*.
A high-performance, OEM-approved fuel you can use in all diesel engines neat, or blended at any ratio with fossil diesel.
*) Neste MY Renewable Diesel sold in the EU and Asia-Pacific is an HVO fuel fulfilling the EU RED sustainability criteria, including the requirement to provide at least a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over its life cycle compared to fossil fuel.
HVO vs. biodiesel
Neste MY Renewable Diesel and FAME biodiesel are both made from renewable raw materials. However, conventional biodiesel, a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) product, is not a hydrocarbon. Most conventional biodiesels can only be used in lower concentration fuel blends – for example up to 7% under European standard EN 15490 and 5% under US standard ASTM D975 2-D*.
As a pure hydrocarbon, Neste MY Renewable Diesel has a similar chemical composition to fossil diesel. This means it can be used as a drop-in fuel in all diesel engines without modifications to them, either neat (100% concentration) or blended at any ratio with fossil diesel. It's high cetane number (always at least 70) ensures highly efficient combustion and helps keep the engine cleaner than with FAME biodiesel
An HVO100 fuel –renewable diesel in its neat form — does not attract water. With proper handling and storage, this means there is minimal risk of fuel deterioration or microbial growth, leading to excellent long-term storage capabilities.
*) The European standard for diesel fuels (DIN EN 15490) limits the biodiesel content (FAME DIN EN 14214) to a maximum of 7%. The US standard for diesel fuels (D975) limits the biodiesel content to a maximum of 5%. Indeed, engine and vehicle manufacturers are widely supporting the development of HVO fuels as a way to increase the share of renewable diesel fuels and reduce GHG emissions without the concerns associated with FAME.
Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ (HVO100)** | Fossil diesel | Biodiesel b20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
Renewable raw materials | Yes | No | Yes |
Performance in cold weather | Excellent | Excellent | Depends |
Cetane number | 70+ | 45-55 | 50 |
Fuel stability | High | Average | Low |
OEM approval | Yes | Yes | Yes |
**) The characteristics of Neste-sold renewable diesel may vary from market to market
How are greenhouse gas emissions for Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ calculated?
How are greenhouse gas emissions for Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ calculated?
The use of Neste MY Renewable Diesel , made from renewable raw materials, can help reduce transport sector GHG emissions* by replacing fossil fuel use. Make a difference today by switching to renewable diesel.
The calculations follow the well-to-wheels principle, which means that all GHG emissions over the full life cycle of the renewable diesel are taken into account and compared with the GHG emissions over the entire fossil diesel life cycle. In addition to the GHG emissions from fuel use, the life cycle emissions include also the emissions associated with the extraction or production of raw materials, fuel refining, and emissions from all logistics of the raw materials and the end product.
*) Neste MY Renewable Diesel sold in the EU and Asia-Pacific is an HVO fuel fulfilling the EU RED sustainability criteria, including the requirement to provide at least a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over its life cycle compared to fossil fuel.