Vegan trains? You heard it here first folks! As of this week, trains operated by Arriva in Groningen and Friesland have traded in diesel for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) - a residual product from cooking processes and foods (e.g. oil from deep-fat fryers).
In an effort to make their trains in the Netherlands more environmentally friendly, Arriva has spent the last two years testing out alternative vegetable-based fuels, with the ultimate aim of replacing diesel with a more sustainable alternative. The tests “showed that HVO works in the same way as diesel,” a spokesperson for the public transport operator told ANP.
Also known as biodiesel, HVO produces 90 percent fewer CO2 emissions compared to its non-sustainable alternative, and according to Arriva is “completely plant-based, so not derived from animals.” Luckily, to make the transition easier, the 68 trains in the region were already compatible with the new fuel and officially made the transition from diesel to HVO on Monday, February 20.
Thumb: Bjoern Wylezich via Shutterstock.com.