Certa, the Irish fuel supplier, says that it has doubled the number of its forecourts which sell HVO - hydrogenated vegetable oil, a form of diesel made from recovered cooking oil which claims to be 90 per cent lower in CO2 emissions than conventional fossil-based diesel.
Kildare, Dublin and Mayo
The latest Certa outlets selling HVO are Maynooth in Kildare, Dundrum in Dublin and Ballyhaunis in Mayo. They join the existing three in Liffey Valley in Dublin, Lee Tunnel in Cork and Trim in Meath.
Certa says that it was the first Irish retailer to open a ‘fully-fledged’ HVO forecourt when it began to sell the fuel at its Liffey Valley location last October.
The move to open new HVO forecourts comes hot on the heels of Certa and Skoda joining forces to promote the use of HVO to drivers of diesel-engined cars. According to Certa, sales of HVO at its Liffey Valley location have increased by 29 per cent since the collaboration with Skoda was announced in March.
Sales of diesel models on the rise
It also comes at a time when sales of new diesel-engined cars are increasing. According to Certa, the total car market in Ireland has increased by six per cent for the first four months of 2024. The most recent figures showed that sales of diesel models rose by 11 per cent, the first increase for diesel vehicles after four consecutive years of decline. Skoda is achieving record sales this year and is currently occupying second position in the Irish market with 7,578 vehicles delivered to customers. A total of 58 per cent of the brand’s sales have been diesel-powered. This is a 30 per cent increase on 2023 and means Skoda is the biggest supplier of diesel cars to the Irish market.
Regardless, Skoda says that it is acutely aware of the need to transition to electric power, and notes that its all-electric Enyaq is one of the best-selling EVs in Ireland right now, and that it’s introducing new plug-in hybrid versions of the Octavia and Superb this year, capable of covering 100km on electric power alone.
However, where HVO is concerned, Skoda says that it “recognises the status and potentially important role of HVO as a transition fuel and a cleaner alternative to diesel and, as such, is seeking to encourage both existing owners of diesel cars and any buyers of new diesel cars to consider HVO as an alternative.”
Price-matching
HVO should be more expensive than diesel, but Certa currently has an offer which matches the prices of HVO with that of diesel.
The company, which is part of DCC plc, is in the process of upgrading its network of unmanned, ‘pay@pump’ forecourts to offer HVO. By the end of 2024, the expectation is that the current network of six forecourts selling HVO will have expanded to ten. You’ll be able to recognise which pumps are selling HVO by their distinctive, pink-painted handles.
Renewable alternative
Orla Stevens, Managing Director of Certa said: “At Certa, our goal is to make it easy for motorists to transition to HVO as a renewable alternative to diesel. HVO’s benefits are well-established, and we believe drivers of diesel cars will switch to using HVO if there are aware of it and are able to access it. As part of our campaign with Skoda, we announced that we are in the process of increasing the availability of HVO and we are now pleased to confirm that we have six HVO-ready forecourts with a further four coming on stream very soon. Motorists wanting to use HVO just need to look out for the pink nozzle at the pumps.”
John Donegan, Brand Director at Skoda Ireland, said: “At Skoda, we recognise the importance of electric vehicles, but we also recognise that many buyers are still choosing diesel models for a variety of reasons as illustrated by recent sales figures. For these motorists, switching to HVO today can lead to an immediate and significant reduction in their emissions. We are delighted to partner with Certa on this initiative and Certa should be commended for the progress the company is making in increasing the availability of HVO in Ireland.”