Valtra has become the first tractor factory in the world to begin using Neste MY Renewable Diesel as the start-up fuel for all new tractors.
Around 700,000 litres of fossil diesel fuel will be replaced each year by 100-percent renewable fuel. When the tractors roll off the assembly line, the first fuel is added to their tanks. As of this March, all new Valtra tractors have been tanked with Neste MY Renewable Diesel, as well as the forklift trucks that operate in the factory.
“In today’s world it is important that we can demonstrate to our customers that we are taking decisive action to protect the environment. Neste MY offers us a simple way to move towards environmentally friendly operations. We are quite a big consumer of diesel, so this decision is really significant,” says Mikko Lehikoinen, Marketing Director at Valtra.
Neste MY is produced from 100-percent renewable waste and residues, so it produces up to 90 percent less greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil diesel fuel. The reduction in emissions achieved by using renewable diesel corresponds to the removal of almost 560 cars from our roads for a year or approximately 46,000 tractor hours without emissions annually.
The quality of the new renewable diesel is excellent; it burns cleanly, which in turn extends engine life. Renewable diesel can be used as such without any additives and without having to make any changes to today’s engines. It can withstand temperatures down to –34° and its storage properties in the tank are excellent.
“The environment is very important for our customers, who traditionally support ecological values. They are constantly trying to make better choices and no doubt prioritise responsibility also when choosing a tractor brand,” Lehikoinen adds.
Each new Valtra tractor will be delivered to customers with fuel that has been refined according to the principles of the circular economy and part of whose raw materials come from farmers like themselves. Nine out of ten new tractors manufactured at the Valtra factory are exported to over 75 countries around the world.
“This demonstrates our commitment to the circular economy and innovation. We are convinced that this message is very appealing to our target audiences, whether they are in Finland, Japan or Chile,” Lehikoinen concludes.