Mercedes targets significant emission reductions for the European stage through the use of biofuels

As Formula 1 heads into the European section of the calendar, Mercedes is aiming to cut its emissions by 60% and seeks to save 200 tonnes of CO2 by using biofuels over the course of the next few races.

Mercedes has revealed that, together with its main partners, Petronas, they are working towards having a fully biofuel European season, following a successful trial in 2022 that saw an 89% reduction in cargo C02 emissions, with the aim of having a sustainable future too. How to take your team and Formula 1 to a Net Zero future.

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The eight-time world champions say their plans include their Mercedes-Benz Astros trucks, which will haul all their cargo over the course of nine races in Europe. They will be powered by HVO100, a second generation biofuel.

With each truck, which they claim to be fully HVO100 powered, set to cover between 9,000 and 10,000 kilometres, they are set to reduce emissions per kilometer traveled by 89%.

While there will be challenges along the way with regard to supply in certain regions, the Brackley and Brixworth-based team are still aiming to reduce their emissions by 60% and save 200 tonnes of CO2 and hope to publish their findings and analysis in the final of the year.

Alice Ashpitel, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Director of Sustainability, said: “Our aspiration to achieve a fully biofuel-powered European season is a challenging and complex project that has been ongoing behind the scenes at the team for over a year.

“With the support and collaborative effort of our expert partners, we are addressing a key pillar in our strategy to achieve Net Zero and support the broader adoption of HVO100 in the sports and logistics industries.

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“This project marks another step on our path to sustainability, but we are on a learning curve. From the evidence of our trial, we are excited to see an 89% reduction in emissions is possible on every trip our trucks make, while acknowledging that supply challenges in sourcing HVO100 across Europe remain. being significant”.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, added: “Motorsport is fueled by passion and we have a responsibility to use the global Formula 1 platform to be more than leaders; we want to be pioneers.

“Working with our senior and technical partner PETRONAS, we see sustainable fuels as central to our team’s strategy to reduce our biggest sources of emissions and achieve net zero by 2030. Working together, we can be fully committed to high performance. sustainable.

“Achieving an 89% reduction in emissions for every kilometer driven by our trucks this summer would be a real achievement for the combined efforts of the team, PETRONAS and our logistics partners who have worked so hard on this innovative and challenging project.”