ID Logistics has been running its Benelux regional fleet of around 400 trucks on HVO100 renewable diesel for roughly six months, supplied by Dutch partner ABC energies. The Shell distributor has rolled out the fuel across all private stations the 3PL operates in the region, according to the company.
Drop-in fuel, measurable impact
HVO100, produced from vegetable oils and organic residues, can be used in current diesel engines without any mechanical modification. That single property turns the switch into an operational non-event for the transport teams, while the carbon math reshuffles meaningfully. ID Logistics quantifies the gain at a 90% reduction of CO2e emissions on the affected transport operations compared with conventional B7 diesel.
Put differently, for a fleet of around 400 trucks the emissions cut is equivalent to removing close to 200 vehicles from the road. Stan Hamers, head of transport at ID Logistics Benelux, framed it as a concrete answer to growing client demand for sustainable transport.
Strategic rationale
Renewable diesel adoption has accelerated in European contract logistics over the past 18 months as shippers tighten their Scope 3 reporting and ask 3PLs to back claims with verifiable data. HVO100 sits in a sweet spot for road transport: no engine retrofit, no new charging or refuelling infrastructure for the 3PL itself, and a high reduction factor versus pure electric or hydrogen pilots that still demand heavy capex.
The cost premium versus standard diesel remains the obvious tension point, and most fleet operators pass on at least part of the differential to shippers willing to pay for low-carbon transport. ID Logistics has not disclosed contractual mechanics for the Benelux setup, but the partnership with ABC energies suggests volume commitments that secured the rollout across all private stations at once rather than progressively.
Wider picture
The Benelux move slots into the broader European 3PL playbook, where operators are layering renewable fuels onto existing fleets to hit interim decarbonization milestones before zero-emission powertrains become commercially mature. Expect more announcements in the same shape over the coming quarters, with HVO100 as the bridging technology of choice while OEM electric and hydrogen tractor units scale up.
