Spanish energy company Repsol has joined Bilbao bus line Bilbobus and Spanish bus operator Alsa to launch a pilot project in Spain using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), Repsol announced on 18 June.
As part of the project, 12 buses in Bilbobus’ fleet which is operated by Alsa, would be run on advanced residue-based biofuels, Repsol said.
The project will contribute to a reduction in CO₂ emissions of 300 tonnes, according to Repsol.
Repsol’s Technology Lab would be supplying more than 100,000 litres of fuel for the project, the company said.
In addition to supplying the fuel used in the project, the Repsol Technology Lab had also carried out tests ensuring that the fuel met the standards of quality required by the European Union (EU) Renewable Energy Directive (RED)’s technical and sustainability specifications, Repsol said.
Repsol said it had been incorporating biofuels into its automotive fuels for over two decades and was aiming to become a carbon-neutral company by 2050.
The EU’s revised RED calls for at least 14% of transport fuels to come from renewables by 2030 and Spain has established a stricter target of 28% renewable energy in transportation by 2030 through its Integrated National Plant for Energy and Climate (PNIEC).
