The Port of Gothenburg has said that by 2030, the vehicle fleet in Sweden will be totally independent of fossil fuels – oil, coal and natural gas. Especcialy, this ambitious target has been set by the Swedish government. As Sweden does not have its own oil or natural gas reserves, it is dependent on imports from other countries.
Since 2011, Preem has produced Preem Evolution Diesel, a diesel with a renewable content of up to 50 per cent. Preem Evolution Diesel is produced in part using tall oil, a residual product from the Swedish forest and paper industry. Its use has reduced Sweden’s carbon emissions by more than 680,000 tonnes during 2015 – equivalent to emissions from around 217,000 vehicles.
“Preem Evolution Diesel has to date contributed to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by more than two million tonnes of carbon dioxide,” said Helene Samuelsson, Head of Corporate Communications at Preem.
In June 2015, the next step was taken in the development towards renewable fuels with the launch of Preem Evolution Petrol. The inclusion of the word Evolution is intended to emphasise the fact that the renewable content of the fuel will gradually increase.
The renewable content in Preem Evolution Petrol is currently 10 per cent, which is twice as high as regular petrol. Half of this is made up of residual products from the forest industry. The renewables in Preem Evolution Petrol comprise five per cent ethanol and five per cent tall oil. During 2015, Preem Evolution Petrol reduced carbon emissions by 4,136 tonnes, equivalent to emissions from 1,854 vehicles.
Helene Samuelsson continued:
“The aim is for Preem Evolution Petrol to be just as climate smart as Preem Evolution Diesel. We are constantly searching for new, renewable raw materials that we can use to produce fuel. During the development of Evolution Petrol, lignin emerged as an interesting alternative. It is also a residual product from the Swedish forest industry and is just as sustainable and climate smart as tall oil.”
Almost half of all fuel used in Sweden is produced by Preem. The company recently invested 355 million kronor in a completely new facility at the refinery, which is located at the Port of Gothenburg. Following the inauguration of the new facility in October 2015, annual production capacity has been increased from 100,000 tonnes to around 200,000 tonnes.
Source: Port of Gothenburg
