Fleets aren’t necessarily looking for a clean start, but they are looking toward clean energy.

Superior Tank Lines is one example of a company looking to transition from traditional fuel to alternative options, and World Energy is the company providing them with the low-carbon fuel they need to reduce their emissions.

One challenge of this transition includes ensuring fleets don’t skip a beat during the process. But, there are some specifics to tackle before implementing alternative fuels.

Transitioning from Traditional Fuel to Alternative

George Theodoridis, VP of Superior Tank, has overseen the company’s ongoing transition to alternative fuels. 

Theodoridis noticed how seamless the transition is by running the fuel tanks low, then switching over, identifying where it’s available, and how to make it financially worth it.

“Operationally, trucks don’t miss a beat. You can even mix the renewable fuel right in with the petroleum fuel the truck was carrying prior,” Theodoridis said. “Financially, once we saw the price between diesel and biofuel blends and that there are savings, the decision was pretty easy to transition.”

World Energy delivers ever-improving fuels and services to those most commited to decarbonization. This procecess happens by taking inedible waste products from the food and agricultural industries and turning them into clean energy for planes, heavy-duty vehicles, and public transit. 

“This clean energy is offered in the form of renewable diesel, biodiesel, renewable naphtha, and sustainable aviation fuel,” said John Zeidler EVP and COO at World Energy. “World Energy’s renewable fuels are drop-in, so no infrastructure change is needed to switch to alternative fuels, and the change can be made immediately.”

Currently, World Energy offers a fully renewable fuel consisting of 80% renewable diesel and 20% biodiesel, combining the best properties of both fuels for emissions reductions of 85%. 

“This solution can be adopted into current operations immediately,” Zeidler said.

Biggest Challenges

Current fleet operations may not see a significant slowdown during the transition to clean energy, but Superior Tank did encounter some challenges along the way.

One challenge was finding consistent supply partners and great quality with high Cetane, according to Theodoridis.

“For us having numerous terminals, not all locations have it available,” said Theodoridis. “For example, our corporate facility has a 15,000-gallon fuel tank. There is very limited local bulk supply for the renewable diesel/biodiesel blend we use, so we have to bring the product in from LA basin terminals.”

Superior Tank has not had an issue with allocation, thanks to its relationship with World Energy.

Zeidler understands that some companies may not know how to make the switch to low-carbon fuel but World Energy can do all the work for them and help them start reducing their emissions starting now.

“Companies are under significant pressure to both shrink their carbon footprint and grow their business,” Zeidler said. “Logistically, it can be challenging to know where to start the switch to clean energy. While electric vehicle and other future innovations are attractive alternatives, implementing those solutions is not practical for many companies today. As fleets continue to operate on petroleum-based fuels, these companies are putting carbon in the air that they can’t take back.”

World Energy provides companies, including Superior Tank, to move toward a more sustainable future and immediately reduce their carbon footprint by understanding the specific needs of each partner.

The Alternative-Fuel Future

Once fleets move away from traditional fuel, the future is looking cleaner and healthier, according to Zeidler. 

“Not only does the use of World Energy’s clean-burning fuels in place of petroleum-based fuels present environmental benefits, but they also contribute to significant air quality and public health improvements in the communities where they are utilized,” Zeidler said.

The World Energy Paramount facility is an example of the future of alternative fuel.

The facility has produced more than 150 million gallons of renewable fuels since 2016. This renewable fuel production volume is equivalent to 1.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in global savings of greenhouse gas emissions or the equivalent to removing more than 250,000 vehicles from the road. 

In 2020, World Energy fuels accounted for a reduction in 480,881 metric tons of carbon, the equivalent of 100,000-plus cars off the road. 

Superior Tank has seen immediate benefits such as a drop in emission system issues. 

“Our trucks are burning cleaner with less soot in the DPF, which has resulted in less costly regen issues including less DPF cleaning intervals,” Theodoridis said. “In the past, biodiesel blends have had issues in cold weather, but over the years, it has gotten better. Renewable diesel is still elusive in some areas. When people realize it is a superior product and with the pricing and possible subsidies, I see a good chance it could surpass conventional diesel.”

The benefits of alternative fuel are clear to Superior Tank and World Energy. Now, they are working to sustain the use of clean energy. 

“World Energy continues to invest billions into finding new and innovative ways to drive down the carbon intensity of each gallon it produces while scaling the availability of its urgently needed solutions,” Zeidler said.

According to Theodoridis, the goal to bridge the gap between traditional fuel and alternative is clear.

“Our goal is to have stable supply in all the regions we do business in, which will help ensure we keep to our alternative fuel company goals,” he concluded.