Shell Plc has recently launched Shell Renewable Diesel at 75 of its stations in Los Angeles, as announced by the company via email. The major oil company is promoting this new fuel on its website as a low-carbon alternative that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 65% compared to conventional diesel. Shell Renewable Diesel is classified as a drop-in fuel, meaning it can be used in any diesel engine without requiring any modifications.
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Renewable diesel, also known as RD, is described by Shell as a cleaner-burning fuel with a higher cetane rating. Cetane rating is a measure of a diesel fuel’s combustion quality, with higher ratings indicating more complete combustion in diesel engines. While conventional diesel typically has a cetane rating of 53, renewable diesel has a minimum cetane rating of 70, according to Shell.
Shell offers two blends of Shell Renewable Diesel: R95B5, which consists of 95% renewable diesel and 5% biodiesel, and R99.9, which is 99.9% renewable diesel. Both blends result in a fuel product that is 99.9% renewable. Shell provides a list of stations offering Shell Renewable Diesel on their website.
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and Phillips 66 Co. have already been offering renewable diesel at their California stations for a few years. Shell’s move to offer renewable diesel comes after their supply agreement with Penske Truck Leasing Co. last year. Penske had already been utilizing renewable diesel at its California sites and expressed a desire to expand its use in other markets.
Renewable diesel is a fuel made from fats and oils, such as soybean oil or canola oil, and is processed to be chemically the same as petroleum diesel. It meets the ASTM D975 specification for petroleum in the United States and EN 590 in Europe. Renewable diesel can be used as a replacement fuel or blended with any amount of petroleum diesel. Nearly all domestically produced and imported renewable diesel is used in California due to economic benefits under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
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