Certa, which is part of DCC, is expanding to 25 HVO fuel sites across Ireland as it responds to demand from diesel drivers who are choosing the renewable fuel to reduce their carbon emissions.
Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is produced from waste plant matter and can be used as a direct replacement for diesel without any need for engine modifications to help motorists lower their carbon emissions by up to 90%.
The fuel is distinguished by a pink nozzle to stand out from the traditional black diesel and green petrol nozzles at fuel stations.
Certa noted that demand for HVO is being driven by diesel drivers who want to “go green” but who have put off switching to an electric vehicle for a variety of reasons.
These reasons include the cost of buying an EV, the lack of charging infrastructure across the country, and not having their own driveway or off-street parking where they can install a home charger.
Certa’s new HVO fuel site in Portlaoise, which opens to the public this week, is the 25th such site to open over the past 18 months across 17 counties.
The company opened the country’s first fully fledged HVO fuel station in Liffey Valley in Dublin in late 2023 at a cost of €1m.
15 of the 25 HVO fuel sites that Certa currently operates have opened over the past eight months and the company has plans to open five more HVO fuel sites over the coming months.
Orla Stevens, Managing Director at Certa Ireland, said the company continues to lead the way in making HVO more widely available to motorists across Ireland.
“Our goal is to make it easy for motorists to transition to HVO as a renewable alternative to diesel to help them to lower their carbon emissions,” she said.
Ms Stevens noted that diesel and petrol cars accounts for 84% of the cars on Irish roads, while 17% of all new cars sold in Ireland so far this year were diesel.
“The demand for HVO has grown as we have opened each new HVO fuel site across our network and our plan is to complete the upgrading of our entire network into next year as we continue our journey towards a net zero future,” she stated.
The Certa and Emo forecourts selling HVO include Liffey Valley, Finglas (Clearwater), Dundrum, Clarehall, Tallaght and Greenogue in Dublin; Lee Tunnel in Cork, Corofin in Co Clare, Letterkenny in Co Donegal, Ballinasloe in Co Galway, Maynooth in Co Kildare, Killarney in Co Kerry, Portlaoise in Co Laois, Moyne in Co Longford, Dundalk in Co Louth, Ballyhaunis in Co Mayo, Trim in Co Meath, Kilcormac in Co Offaly, Clonmel in Co Tipperary, Waterford city, Athlone and Mullingar in Co Westmeath, and Castlebridge, Gorey and Wexford town in Co Wexford.
