HVO Fuel (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil Fuel) as alternative to Diesel

   / HVO Fuel (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil Fuel) as alternative to Diesel #11  
Has anyone experience of HVO in their tractors, especially older ones, and views.
Here's another recent thread that veered off-topic to discuss biodlesel. One of the participants seems to have a background in chemical engineering and participated in a biodiesel startup a decade ago, so he has remained interested in recent developments in better quality BD from modern refineries.

After considering his advice I concluded the high quality Nesle (not Nestle) - BD from a real refinery, available locally, would be fine for a car but isn't suitable for my small scale farm use because I store diesel a year or more before it is used. I think this is the HVO you are inquiring about. That thread has links to articles describing Nesle's overseas refineries.

Apparently what I learned years ago is still relevant: BD is an alternative to diesel IF you recognize the need for more frequent maintenance, and upgrade hoses and gaskets for it. Then consume it fast enough to stay ahead of quality deterioration. So there has to be a cost saving to make it worthwhile. (or a lot of idealism). I went back to off-road (no road tax) ordinary diesel after a year of hard starting on BD. As for home heating - you don't get re-fueled as often as an automobile so I don't know if it is suitable.
 
   / HVO Fuel (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil Fuel) as alternative to Diesel #12  
Massachusetts has been in the vanguard of states with progressive, politically correct, plans to help "green" our planet. The Clean Energy Biofuels Act was enacted in 2008 and mandated 2% biofuels in all diesel and No.2 heating oil in 2010 increasing to 5% in 2013 and even higher percentages for state vehicles and buildings. This thread prompted me to check what percentage of biofuel was mandated today.

Lo, in 2012 the (Mass.) Dept. of Energy Resources exercised its authority given in the act and suspended the formal requirements of the Advanced Biofuels Mandate having determined that "the Massachusetts mandate is determined to be infeasible at the present time." And so it goes. Laws intended to improve our world are enacted and implemented with much fanfare only to be repealed, rescinded, revised, or suspended quietly and in fine print when it is discovered that the world doesn't work that way. (Source: Advanced Biofuels | mass.gov )
I wonder how much of a prelude this was to the current push toward EVs.
 
 
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