Following extensive testing, Mack Trucks is now allowing for the use of “renewable diesel fuel” in all of its engines – stressing, however, that this does not necessarily apply to biodiesel fuel.
Mack said that while “renewable” diesel fuel is similar to conventional biodiesel as it is derived from biomass feedstocks – such as animal fats and oils – it’s made using a different process, thus maintaining physical properties and performance similar to petroleum diesel as well as meeting the same ASTM D975 specification.
“As the availability and customer requests for renewable diesel fuel increase, we worked to ensure its compatibility with our engines,” noted Stu Russoli, Mack’s highway and powertrain products marketing manager, in a statement. “This approval gives Mack customers who seek to reduce their environmental footprint an additional choice when it comes to alternative fuels.”
He added that renewable diesel fuel offers potential benefits, including reducing particulate matter.
A life cycle analysis of renewable diesel fuel conducted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) also demonstrated reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 15% to 80%, depending on feedstock source used, the OEM noted.
