Renewable solvents are the latest addition to Neste Oil's resource-efficient product range
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Neste Oil wants to offer its customers resource-efficient products and solutions that will save the planet's non-renewable resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Neste Oil's most important green product is NEXBTL, a diesel manufactured from renewable raw materials. The latest addition to the product range are bio-based solvents.
"We want to be a company that offers solutions for major global problems," says Matti Lehmus, Executive Vice President, Oil Products.
Non-renewable raw materials are inevitably becoming scarcer. It is clear that we must be frugal when using the remaining oil resources, and we must also stop global warming.
"We are faced with huge issues. To resolve these major problems, we absolutely need resource-efficient solutions. Resource efficiency is at the heart of Neste Oil's strategy," Lehmus says.
Neste Oil has already gone a long way in developing resource efficiency.
"We talked about green traffic in the 1990s. Many of the solutions that were created then also promoted resource efficiency."
Neste Oil took the longest leap five years ago when the manufacture of the renewable NEXBTL diesel started.
"We created a whole new kind of fuel that has a clearly smaller carbon footprint than traditional fuels. We can offer our customers the tools they need to respond to the demands of their end customers and the legislators. There are already several countries and areas in the world where legislation demands products with a smaller carbon footprint."
Lehmus stresses the fact that resource efficiency must be a principle involving the business as a whole.
"New raw materials are a highly visible part of this work. We use more waste and scraps, and we are gradually able to use more and more demanding raw materials."
Renewable fuels are on the agenda of all the leading oil companies in one way or another.
"The difference is that we have already transferred from the research stage to the production stage. We have made large investments, and we have the necessary technology and competence at our disposal."
Lehmus believes that development will be necessary also in the future.
"The EU has set a highly ambitious goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% from the level of 1990 by 2050. We can be involved in this work as a company if we use more scraps and raw materials with an especially small carbon footprint."
"Another means is expanding the scope of our applications. At present, we are working on the development of new kind of solvents, for instance. We are seeking for products that have a smaller carbon footprint than the traditional oil-based solvents."
The legislation and the customers' needs are constantly evolving, and that is why Lehmus hopes that the customers of Neste Oil would be active in voicing their needs.
"We are aware of the gist of the matter, but we also need information and feedback from our customers. What are the areas in which resource-efficient solutions are needed? Knowing this will assist us in correctly allocating our R&D resources."
- In 2013, 52% of the renewable raw materials used by Neste Oil were scraps and waste.
- The NEXBTL diesel manufactured in 2013 reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4.8 million metric tons.
