Laing O'Rourke champions Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil trials across Australia

Working towards our net zero goals, Laing O'Rourke is championing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil 100% (HVO100) trials across Australia.

HVO100, derived from vegetable oils such as rapeseed or waste-based feedstock used as cooking oil, can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel derived from fossil fuels.

As a significant contributor to global emissions, the phase-out of diesel is critical to achieving our net zero goals given construction is a known hard to abate industry.

The METRONET Byford Rail Extension project was the first project in Western Australia (WA) to trial the use of renewable diesel. The renewable diesel is powering four on-site pieces of equipment with HVO100 hydrotreated vegetable oil. The trial is being run in partnership with METRONET, the Department of Transport and Curtin University who will undertake studies to understand implications for fuel efficiency, emission reduction and impacts to engines.

In New South Wales, the St Marys Station footbridge project team worked with subcontractor AnewX to trial using HVO100 on their plant and equipment. To date, positive outcomes have been reported with consistent engine performance and seamless transitions between fuel types.

Hollie Hynes, General Manager - Sustainability and Environment, said, "The adoption of renewable liquid fuels, like HVO, is critical to achieving our 2030 near-term targets. As the construction industry is heavily reliant on diesel, the transition to electric heavy machinery and plant will take time - beyond 2030. HVO is widely available in other parts of the world at price parity and is the solution Laing O'Rourke is using in the United Kingdom to reduce scope 1 emissions."