Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Powers 2024 European Season On Biofuel, Achieving 98% Coverage In Race And Marketing Trucks

In line with their ambition to become one of the most sustainable global professional sports teams, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team has successfully powered their race and marketing trucks and generators for the 2024 European Season on HVO100, a second-generation biofuel.

Working with their Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS and their logistics partners, the team set a target to extend their use of biofuels during the nine 2024 European races, powering their freight logistics and motorhome on sustainable fuels.

Despite the complexities of the supply chain across Europe, the team is proud to have achieved 98% biofuel coverage in their race and marketing trucks and generators, resulting in a saving of over 500 tCO2e from their carbon footprint.(1)

This represents an uplift from 74% biofuel coverage over the 2023 European races to 98% coverage in 2024. These results take the team closer to their target for Race Team Control Net Zero by 2030 and form part of their wider sustainable fuels strategy.

Since their initial pilot in 2022, the team is pleased to have provided a proof of concept to help reduce the impact of their sport’s logistics and power demands. The team extends their thanks to their Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS for their invaluable support and market expertise in helping to develop their biofuel capabilities over the past three seasons. Sourcing and delivering HVO100 in bulk to multiple locations across Europe, PETRONAS’s contribution to fuelling the marketing trucks which deliver the team’s motorhome has been critical to ensuring the success of their achievements and progress.

Like all industries, the team has much to learn on how they can become more sustainable in their logistics and travel but are proud to lead the way and make a positive impact. As Formula One scale their sustainable centralised power solution for European races in 2025, the team will continue to drive the use of sustainable fuels and make progress in extending their biofuel use to flyaway races next season.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team

“Powering their European season on biofuel is a first for the team and sport, and I hope their achievements, with the invaluable support, expertise and supply capability of their Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS, will inspire others to follow. The team looks forward to now challenging themselves to expand the use of sustainable fuel in their logistics beyond the European races and continuing to prepare for the introduction of the fully sustainable fuel which will power the 2026 cars on track.”

Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team

“The team is a group of problem solvers and pursuing sustainable high performance is always front of mind. Optimising their logistics operations and achieving almost total biofuel coverage reflects the team’s significant sustainability efforts and it’s a real inspiration to see the reduction of their impact at the track and on the road. The team continues to address the largest sources of their emissions, and how they transport the team’s freight and power their operations across the globe remain key focus areas.”

Notes

(1) Calculated using the difference between the Well to Wheel (WTW) emissions for HVO100 and average biodiesel blend from UK Government GHG Conversion Factors (2024) and total fuel consumption across the European season for Race & Marketing Trucks and Generators.

2024 Biofuels Target
In May, the team announced a target of 100% biofuel logistics for the European season by extending the use of biofuels across their trackside generators and their fleet of Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks. This season’s results have been calculated based on fuel used in their motorhome and trackside generators, and all freight transported in their race and marketing trucks. The results exclude Formula One’s sustainable centralised power solution which powered their generators in Austria, Hungary and Monza.

2023 Biofuels Rollout
In 2023 the team built on the success of their 2022 biofuels trial, significantly increasing their HVO100 usage across the European season. They achieved an emissions reduction of 67% and a saving of 339 tCO2e for their race and hospitality trucks and generators. Their fleet of trucks travelled 386,000km on HVO100 with every kilometre travelled saving 90% of CO2 emissions versus traditional diesel.

2022 Biofuels Trial
In September 2022, the team concluded a trial in the use of HVO100 in 16 of their race trucks for the final three European races. The trial was designed to understand the level of carbon saving achievable, as well as identifying sourcing challenges. Analysis conducted after the trial concluded the use of HVO100 reduced the freight emissions of the trucks by 89%.

HVO100 Biofuel
HVO100, short for hydrotreated vegetable oils, is a liquid bio-based fuel made from vegetable oil feedstocks. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts a continuous rise in biofuel usage, recognizing them as a powerful tool in reducing fuel-related emissions. The use of HVO100 can significantly reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the impact of freight on local air quality by reducing NOx and particulate emissions. Bioenergy is an important pillar of decarbonisation in the energy transition as a near zero-emission fuel.

Suppliers
The team would like to thank their Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS and their logistics partners for their invaluable support and commitment in supporting their sustainability ambitions.