The Facts about Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)

February 3, 2026

HVO is a term many have heard over the last few years amid the energy transition, but what impact will HVO have on the future of fuel retail and the convenience industry?

Described as 100% biodegradable and responsibly sourced, HVO is an innovative fuel, developed to help reduce dependence on standard diesel. In fact, it can be used as a direct drop-in replacement for standard diesel, offering impressive and rapid carbon reduction.

But is HVO the transformative alternative fuel of the future? Let's find out.

Why is HVO Becoming More Popular in Fuel Retail?

HVO runs in standard diesel vehicles, moves through existing systems, and meets sustainability targets without major disruption, making it a growing part of low-emission planning for both fuel retailers and fleet operators.

HVO's popularity is increasing across Europe, mainly driven by environmental reasons. Motorists are now more conscious about cleaner fuels and are making choices that are better for the environment. Many manufacturers and retailers have legislation to comply to, regarding the carbon footprints of vehicles. Solutions like HVO can help reach those goals, which is one of the other reasons why its popularity has grown rapidly in recent years.

What is the Difference Between HVO & Diesel?

Diesel is derived from petroleum, while HVO is a renewable biofuel made from vegetable oil and animal fats.

HVO is a cleaner burning fuel, resulting in significantly lower emissions and a longer shelf life. Essentially, HVO can be used as a direct drop-in replacement for diesel without any modifications.

What are the Benefits of Using HVO Fuel?

Reduced Emissions

HVO can deliver up to 90% CO₂ reductions without replacing engines or infrastructure.

100% Biodegradable

HVO is 100% biodegradable and non-toxic, which helps reduce environmental damage if there were any spills.

Performs Well in Cold Weather

HVO has a higher cetane number and a low cloud point, meaning it won’t gel in cold temperatures.

Viable Diesel Replacement

HVO meets EN 15940 standards and can be used as a direct substitute for diesel without modifications to engines or infrastructure.

Enhanced Offering

With HVO, consumers do not have to change their refuelling behaviour. With other alternative energies – liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), Hydrogen, electric vehicles (EVs) etc., – consumers must make certain concessions e.g. change of vehicle, change of fuel station, change in refuelling process.

Are There Fuel Sites Already Offering HVO?

EU legislation, particularly the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), has set targets for increasing the share of renewable energy in the transport sector – encouraging the use of advanced biofuels like HVO. As such, many retailers as starting to consider HVO as a fuel source.

Pure HVO100 is widely available at public stations in nine countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. However, it can also be found on fuel sites across Asia, including Australia.

Across Europe, HVO fuel is mostly used across postal, logistics, and public transport fleets.

Why Should Retailers Consider Investing in HVO?

The fuel retail and convenience industry, similarly the transport sector, is tasked with reducing their carbon footprint, with the aim of transitioning to clean energy in the near future. The transition to full clean energy adoption with not happen overnight, as it requires substantial investment and infrastructure.

HVO presents a cleaner fuel alternative to standard diesel, offering a practical route to decarbonisation with minimal site disruption for retailers.

How Can Dover Fueling Solutions^® (DFS) Support HVO Adoption?

Our Wayne^® and Tokheim^® dispensers are HVO ready from the factory. Effectively, if retailers are changing to HVO on site, with existing DFS dispensers, cleaning will be required to seals if the dispenser previously housed traditional diesel.

Additionally, ProGauge™ probes uniquely use the same product flow for both gasoline and diesel-based products, including HVO, to which no additional investment is required. All that is required is a change of name and product label. The same applies to automatic tank gauging (ATG) consoles.

Our wetstock management system, DX Wetstock^®, integrates HVO in the fuel reconciliation part, and includes special reports on request. Again, there are minimal changes required, when it comes to HVO adoption – the equipment is HVO ready.

On the wider solution perspective, there is even the opportunity with point-of-sale (POS) systems, to adjust receipts to show the advantages of HVO with a carbon footprint message on the receipt. This is something additional, but it's part of the standard DFS solution package. When it comes to HVO adoption, it is simply a matter of configuration and implementation. Nothing more, nothing less.

Retailers looking to make the switch to HVO can do so with minimal disruption to a site. DFS have the products, solutions, and in-house expertise to support HVO adoption for fuel sites, and networks, of varying sizes.

To learn more about HVO as an alternative fuel of the future, you can listen to our latest podcast episode HERE.