Using Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil as Generator Fuel

At 21 Moorfields, we are trying to reduce our carbon footprint and minimise the disturbance to the local community who surround our central London site. Following this aim, we have decided to trial the use of a hydrogenated vegetable oil to fuel two generators on site whilst we transfer the mains power supply from low to high voltage.

The ‘Green D+’ fuel is made exclusively of waste products – compromising a mix of vegetable oils and animal/fish fats. Unlike regular diesel, hydrogen is used as a catalyst in the creation process instead of methanol. It’s a renewable fuel which comparatively saves one tonne of carbon for every 350 litres of fuel used. We are expecting to save at least 12.5 tonnes of carbon from this trial – that’s roughly the equivalent of 3 personal flights from London to Sydney.

Beyond its carbon benefit, it also achieves a 12-22% reduction in Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions and a 25-50% reduction in airborne particulates compared to red diesel, and therefore reduces air pollution to the local community. The high cetane value of the fuel (70+) also reduces combustion noise, sometimes referred to as ‘knocking’ noise, which is so often associated with the running of a generator on site.

The trial has helped us demonstrate to our stakeholders that we are innovating to minimise environmental nuisance on-site and reducing our contribution towards climate change.