Farnek has committed to reducing carbon emissions from its fleet of vehicles by adopting a new blend of biodiesel produced by Dubai-headquartered Neutral Fuels.
Neutral Fuels, the largest producer of biofuel in the Gulf region, collects waste cooking oil from local restaurants and kitchens and chemically transforms it into Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (commonly called biodiesel), a commercially viable drop-in replacement for the high carbon footprint fossil fuel normally used in diesel engines.
According to the company's website, using its B7 blend of the biofuel saves 6.14 per cent of carbon emissions in comparison to using regular diesel, which translates into a saving of 21,170kg of CO2e for every 100,000 litres of biodiesel.
It is not feasible for many companies with hundreds of vehicles, travelling thousands of kilometres a day, to replace their transport fleet with electric vehicles. Biofuel is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative
Markus Oberlin, Farnek CEO, says: “To put that into perspective it is equivalent to the amount of carbon that would be removed from the environment by planting 350 saplings and grown for over a decade,”
“It is not feasible for many companies with hundreds of vehicles, travelling thousands of kilometres a day, to replace their transport fleet with electric vehicles.
Biofuel is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative,” he added.
Karl Feilder, Neutral Fuels founder and CTO, adds: “Our partnership reflects the commitment of both Neutral Fuels and Farnek towards sustainable business practices.
It promotes the use of biodiesel, as a clean-burning and renewable substitute for petroleum diesel, is an excellent example of Circular Economy within the UAE, and significantly reduces environmental impact and enhances energy security.
“Together this partnership will further the widespread adoption of biofuels by increasing awareness and encouraging other corporate sustainability initiatives throughout the region.”
The blended biodiesel complies fully with the UAE S. 477: 2021 diesel standard, and will be introduced alongside FLEETEK, a digital fleet management solution that determines vehicle and driver productivity in real time using a system-based inventory and digital schedule.
FLEETEK is powered by IoT sensors fitted to vehicles and connected with Google Maps to enable tracking and navigation for route optimisation.
Oberlin adds, "This saves fuel, cuts carbon emissions still further, as well as reducing wear and tear on the fleet, prolonging the time between servicing and ultimately its operational life, which all benefit the environment”.
The agreement complements the facility services provider's Net Zero Roadmap, which aims to halve Farnek's transportation emissions by 2031.
... [T]his partnership will further the widespread adoption of biofuels by increasing awareness and encouraging other corporate sustainability initiatives throughout the region
Muna Al Nahdi, Head of Sustainability & Consultancy at Farnek, says: “We are committed to making responsible decisions including implementing low-carbon technologies and resources as we adopt a progressive and sustainable model across the business”.
