Why does transport need renewable fuels?

Fossil fuels were first used to power transport in 1804 with the first steam-powered train journey. Over the past 200 years, fossil fuels have come to power the vast majority of transport on land, at sea and in the air. Using what are essentially carbon sinks as a transport fuel and releasing the CO₂ in atmosphere is inherently non-sustainable. Now, the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end.

We are in the midst of a fundamental paradigm shift of how we power mobility. Tomorrow’s mobility will be powered by a wide range of solutions, including electricity, hydrogen and renewable fuels. This paradigm shift is driven by an urgent need to reduce transport-related emissions, and only by combining all available solutions will we meet climate goals. The climate cannot wait.

Why renewable fuels?

Available

Renewable fuels already help reduce transport emissions, today. Producers across the world are already marketing different types of renewable fuels, and production capacity is set to expand exponentially over the next decades.

Emission reduction

Switching to Neste’s renewable fuels helps substantially reduce emissions. For example, switching to Neste MY Renewable Diesel can reduce emission by up to 75-95 per cent over the lifetime of the fuel, and Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel can reduce emissions by up to 80 per cent.

Existing infrastructure & vehicles

Neste’s renewable fuels can be used in existing cars, trucks, planes and ships. This will allow these fuels to be adapted quickly.

Flexible

Renewable fuels can be blended with fossil fuels. This allows for a gradual switch and flexibility in operations.

Proven

Renewable fuels have been around for decades, and are a proven solution for all modes of transport. This is especially important in the aviation sector where safety certification of even the smallest change can take years.

Versatile

Renewable fuels can be adapted to all modes of transport. Cars, vans, trucks, planes, ships and heavy machinery can all run on renewable fuels.

Future-proof

A range of new raw materials and processes could allow global renewable fuel production to grow substantially to over 1000 megatons of oil equivalent by 2040, which would be enough to replace all fossil fuels used in aviation and maritime transport as well as a substantial part of road transport

Any time, any place

Renewable fuels can help reduce emissions for road transport where other alternatives might not be viable, including certain vehicle types and for rural communities.