NExBTL renewable diesel is up to the challengeNExBTL renewable diesel is currently being trialed in hundreds of buses in Greater Helsinki. The results of the Optibio project, as it is known, have been very positive, and NOx and particulate emissions have been significantly lower than those of vehicles running on conventional diesel.
 
A total of 300 buses in Greater Helsinki are involved in the three-year project. Some of these are new models and some older. Some of the older buses have been fitted with catalytic converters. The majority of the buses are running on a blend containing 30% NExBTL renewable diesel, while a small number are running on 100% NExBTL.
Measurements carried out by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland show that NOx emissions have been 10% lower on average and particulate emissions approximately 30% lower. In some cases, particulate emissions have been halved.
Trials like these have confirmed that NExBTL renewable diesel is a highly reliable fuel, and vehicles running on the fuel have encountered no problems in sub-zero conditions or unexpected engine wear.
Text Timo Hämäläinen
Translated by Peter Herring
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