Volkswagen states that its latest generation diesel engines are approved for use on paraffinic fuels.

For every Volkswagen four-cylinder diesel engine delivered since the end of June this year, approval for the use of paraffinic diesel fuels has been granted in accordance with the European standard EN 15940.

There are a variety of paraffinic fuels that use biological components to reduce harmful emissions.

One example is fuels made from biological residues and waste materials such as hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). These vegetable oils are converted into hydrocarbons through a reaction with hydrogen and can be added to diesel fuel in any quantity.

These HVOs can be used as the sole fuel source or added to diesel to reduce emissions.

Volkswagen says the greatest environmental benefit of these fuels is when they’re made from biological residues and waste materials like used cooking oil and sawdust.

Many HVO fuels are already available on the market, but the German company expects their availability in Europe to increase to a market share of up to 30 percent in the next 10 years.

Thomas Garbe, Head of Otto and Diesel Fuels at Volkswagen, says: “By using environmentally friendly fuels in the approved Volkswagen models, we enable customers all over Europe to significantly reduce their CO2 emissions as soon as the fuel is on site.”

“The use of paraffinic fuels, for example, is a sensible additional option, especially for companies with a mixed fleet of models with electric and conventional drives.”

Many fuel suppliers across Europe already offer diesel to which paraffin-containing diesel has been added, including Diesel R33, V-Power Diesel, OMV MaxMotion and Aral Ultimate Diesel.