Certa first to open 10 HVO sites in Ireland


Certa, which is part of DCC plc, has become the first fuel operator in Ireland to make Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) available at 10 of its forecourts.

Certa operates a network of 49 unmanned, pay@pump forecourts across Ireland, with almost 20 per cent of these now offering HVO alongside other fuels.

According to Certa, demand for the renewable fuel continues to rise among motorists nationwide as it continues to make the biofuel more widely available to those seeking a renewable alternative to diesel.

HVO is produced from waste plant matter and can be used as a direct replacement for diesel without any need for vehicle or engine modifications to help motorists lower their carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent.

Last November, Certa began the process of upgrading its network to make HVO available alongside diesel and unleaded petrol and it has achieved the milestone of opening its 10th HVO site after introducing HVO pumps at its forecourt in Corofin in county Clare.

HVO is now available at the Certa forecourts in Liffey Valley, Dundrum, Clarehall and Finglas (Clearwater) in Dublin, Lee Tunnel in Cork, Ballyhaunis in Mayo, Maynooth in Kildare, Trim in Meath, Moyne in Longford and Corofin in Clare.

Certa has provided the new HVO pumps alongside diesel and petrol pumps and the fuel is distinguished through the use of a pink nozzle to stand out from the traditional black diesel and green petrol nozzles.

Laura Byrne, head of sustainable fuels (left) and Grace Cunningham, interim head of retail unmanned at Certa. (Photo: Sean Brosnan Photography)

Orla Stevens, managing director, Certa Ireland said: “Certa is leading the way in making HVO more widely available to motorists across Ireland. Our goal is to make it easy for motorists to transition to HVO as a renewable alternative to diesel to help them to lower their carbon emissions.

“Our success in upgrading our network to offer HVO at 10 sites is an important milestone for Certa and our customers. The demand for HVO has grown as we have opened each new site, and our plan is to complete the upgrading of our entire network into next year as we continue our journey towards a net-zero future.”

Certa has also helped a growing number of businesses and events to decarbonise and to transition to HVO as a renewable fuel, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), John Sisk & Son Ltd., Dublin Airport, Dublin Port, The National Ploughing Championship, the Irish Open and Bloom.

The fuel operator has already transitioned its entire fleet of 100 delivery vehicles from diesel to HVO in line with its commitment to reduce its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 or sooner. It is also installing solar PV panels across its network to enable its forecourts to generate their own power from solar energy.

Certa was one of the first HVO suppliers in Ireland to be awarded International Sustainability Carbon Certification (ISCC) which provides full transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain. This certification enables Certa to create and assign Proof of Sustainability (POS) certification to the businesses that it supplies with HVO.

Certa’s work to make HVO more accessible and more widely available to motorists and businesses was also recognised when it received the prestigious Green Award at the 2024 UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors (UKIFDA) Awards.