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A first of its kind project, converting homes and businesses in a rural village in Cornwall to run off Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), has shown how renewable liquid fuels can offer a low cost, undisruptive and simple pathway for hundreds of thousands of rural homes to decarbonise their heating systems.
In the village of Kehelland over the last 18 months, 17 homes as well as the local church and school have taken part in a scheme run by industry trade bodies UKIFDA and OFTEC to convert their kerosene heating oil-using boilers to use the sustainable biofuel HVO. This demonstration was part of a larger project covering 150 premises across the UK.
OFTEC and UKIFDA CEOs Paul Rose and Ken Cronin said the demonstrator shows “there is an alternative way forward for millions of off grid residents who can neither afford nor want to install a heat pump. This report shows there is a clear blueprint for these households to decarbonise their home heating.”
This project shows the practical and cost effective solution rural homeowners have been waiting for when it comes to decarbonising properties not connected to the gas grid.
Therefore highlighting HVO as a sustainable heating solution for rural homeowners and businesses. To make the above trial a reality for the millions more off grid residents, OFTEC and UKIFDA are calling for the UK Government to make two straightforward policy changes.
The Energy Bill requires amending, as it completes its legislative stages in Parliament:
The latest OFTEC/UKIFDA data also highlights that the global production of HVO is increasing rapidly, with more than enough supply to cater for UK home heating demand.
Under current Government proposals, residents in off gas grid properties who rely on heating oil will be subject to a ban from 2026 on new and replacement fossil fuel appliances. In most cases, they will be expected to install a heat pump. The Kehelland demonstrator highlights there is an alternative for these properties which achieves significant emission reductions.
The findings are backed up by a recent survey of 1,500 households that use oil heating across the UK which found that 96% of respondents want to decide which green heating system they install, rather than the Government. It also found that 89% would prefer to convert their existing boiler to run on renewable liquid fuel.
The Chief Executives of OFTEC and UKIFDA, Paul Rose and Ken Cronin, went on to say:
“The Kehelland model proves there is space in our country’s low-carbon future for a wide variety of solutions, from heat pumps to HVO. However, we would like to see a recognition from the Government that a heat pump-first approach removes choice, adds cost and will leave rural communities disadvantaged. Decarbonisation can be achieved more quickly, and in a fairer and more equitable manner, simply by giving consumers the power to choose.”
The Rt Hon George Eustice MP, the constituency MP for Kehelland, added:
“Finding a way to allow them to convert their boilers at reasonable cost to a fuel with a lower carbon footprint may well be part of the solution in the medium term. So I’m very pleased to see that my constituency is leading the way with this nationally-leading trial of HVO.”
Kehelland resident and participant in the trial, Dave Biggs, said:
“HVO is a great option for our home and we’re so pleased we made the switch – we’re saving nearly five metric tonnes of carbon every year as a result! We wanted to reduce our carbon emissions but the cost of installing a heat pump would have been very high for us. The simple switch in fuel was so easy.”
If you would like more information on the sustainable biofuel HVO otherwise known as hydrotreated vegetable oil then please call our friendly team on 01258 472132 or leave a message via our enquiry form.
