SHV Energy’s sustainable fuel solutions include Futuria Propane (also known as bioLPG) and rDME (renewable dimethyl ether), both of which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% compared to diesel and heating oil. The company is also actively piloting Futuria LNG (or bioLNG) and is exploring the addition of other fuels to its portfolio, such as green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol.
“Our end goal at SHV Energy is defossilisation, moving away from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy sources. Our sustainable fuel solutions are key to achieving our ambition of replacing all the fossil fuel volume we sourced in 2015 with 100% renewably and sustainably sourced energy by 2040,” said Bram Gräber, Chief Executive Officer at SHV Energy.
Sustainable fuels replace or greatly reduce the mining or drilling of fossil fuels from below the earth’s surface. They are produced from renewable and/or alternative feedstocks, such as plant, vegetable or industrial waste.
SHV Energy launched Futuria Propane in 2018, and it’s now available in 12 countries and rapidly expanding. It is identical in use and performance to conventional LPG and allows customers to immediately switch to a renewable energy source with no modifications to existing infrastructure.
rDME is a renewable and low-carbon fuel that emits no harmful particulates. Depending on the feedstock and production process used, rDME can even have negative greenhouse gas emissions. SHV Energy is accelerating its efforts to commercialise rDME by late 2023.
Through its joint venture with UGI International, called Dimeta, SHV Energy will develop six production plants across Europe and the United States, which are expected to generate 300 kilotons of rDME per year by 2027. It recently announced the location of Dimeta’s first commercial-scale rDME production plant, at Teesworks in the UK. The plant is expected to be operational by 2024 and will produce 50,000 tonnes of rDME each year.
“We will not achieve defossilisation on our own,” said Gräber. “Collaboration with our employees, customers, suppliers, and partners is essential to making our sustainable fuel advances possible. That’s the true meaning of advancing energy together.”
