PETRONAS F1 team makes big emission savings with HVO

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team saved 339 tCO2e and reduced race and hospitality trucks and generator emissions by 67% through HVO 100 biofuel use over the course of the 2023 Formula One European season.
The combined 67% emissions reduction and 339 tCO2e saving, calculated in line with the GHG protocol and latest DEFRA GHG emissions factors, exceeded the team's initial targets of 60% emissions reduction for race and hospitality trucks and generators.
The trucks and generators were refuelled where possible using second-generation biofuel HVO 100 across the European races from May to September.
The trucks transport all the team’s freight required for each race, while the generators power the team’s engineering and hospitality units in the Formula One paddock.
Alice Ashpitel, head of sustainability at the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team said: “We are delighted to achieve such a positive set of results and reduce our freight and generator emissions significantly over this season’s European races. The use of biofuels is one of our key pioneering initiatives as part of our overarching sustainability strategy for achieving Net Zero for our race team controlled emissions by 2030.
“We had to overcome complex logistical hurdles on this project. To achieve such a significant reduction in freight and generator emissions demonstrates the strong collaboration between the team, PETRONAS and our logistics partners. This project marks a significant step forward and a strong proof point supporting the wider adoption of HVO100 across sport, entertainment, and logistics industries.”
Datuk Sazali Hamzah, executive vice-president and CEO of PETRONAS Downstream, said: “As a progressive partner enriching lives for a sustainable future, we will continue to rise to the challenge in meeting the demands of today and the future. As Title and Technical Partner to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, we are driving the change in support of Formula One’s aspiration of becoming Net Zero from factory to flag by 2030, achieved through on- and off-track initiatives. The accomplishment with the logistics team represents a milestone that will serve as a foundation for further work at Grand Prix events held outside Europe.”
“At PETRONAS, we place immense emphasis on innovation, and this is reflected in the work that we do in our research and technology labs. We have been actively experimenting with a proxy for Advanced Sustainable Fuel, with our goal to transition to a pilot testing phase by 2024 and 2025, leading to the fuel production in 2026,” he added.