4 minutes - magazine 02 | 2025
In operation with HVO
“We want to set a good example”
Since September 2021, all new mobile and crawler cranes at Liebherr in Ehingen have been fuelled exclusively with pure HVO, for test drives and crane acceptances, as well as for the very first tank of fuel before delivery.
This makes us pioneers of the mobile crane industry. HVO fuel, made from hydrotreated vegetable oils, makes a valuable contribution to limiting global emissions of greenhouse gases. During operation, it enables CO₂ emissions to be reduced by up to 90%.
Nina Schwarze is also a pioneer. She is the Managing Director of Schwarze ASC GmbH and has also switched her company to HVO. We asked her about her motivation and strategy.
Mrs Schwarze, your company operates in the crane and heavy lifting industry – a sector that is often associated with a lot of emissions. Yet you are very firmly focused on sustainability. How did you get here?
Nina Schwarze: For us, sustainability is not a short-lived trend, but rather a definitive tenet of our corporate philosophy. We want to show that ecologically responsible business is possible in our industry too. We have been working for years on optimising processes, reducing emissions and raising awareness among our workforce around the issue.
Since March 2025, your entire business has run on HVO. What prompted you to take this step?
Nina Schwarze: I first became aware of HVO at Liebherr’s customer days – and the subject immediately inspired me. What
really motivated me was the fact that, with HVO, we can operate our existing machinery virtually CO₂-neutrally, without any conversions whatsoever or indeed any premature scrappage of perfectly functioning technology. For me, this is real sustainability – pragmatic, effective and immediately available to implement.
What specific impact has the changeover had?
Nina Schwarze: The complete change to HVO means we are saving around 850 tonnes of CO₂ a year. This corresponds to the CO₂ emissions of 100 to 120 German households – or the absorption capacity of around 68,000 trees.
Have there been any challenges during the changeover?
Nina Schwarze: Yes – first and foremost the lack of political support. There were no funding programmes nor any tax breaks, but there were plenty of higher costs. HVO alone creates additional costs of around Euro 35,000 a year for us, a cost that we are currently covering ourselves. However one thing was clear to us: we’re going to stick with it. The decision came from the courage of our convictions – not because it’s currently on trend.
Beyond this, what other elements of your sustainability strategy are there?
Nina Schwarze: We use a range of measures, both small and large: LED lighting, rainwater collection, an on-site photovoltaics plant with charging pillars, a virtually fully electrified fleet – and we even have a bee club with its own company beekeeper. For us, sustainability begins with training: our student drivers learn about resource-sparing driving right from the start.
How are your customers responding to this green revolution?
Nina Schwarze: Very positively. More and more customers are valuing sustainable solutions – especially for public or sensitive construction projects. Our switch to HVO also sends a signal to the market: where there’s a will, thereʼs a way.
What are you hoping for in the future?
Nina Schwarze: A stable HVO market, more political support – and most of all that sustainability becomes second nature in our industry. We’re taking responsibility for our region, our workforce and future generations. And we’re delighted that Liebherr is joining us on this journey.
What is HVO?
Fuel made from Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils
Raw materials: Vegetable oils and fats from the food industry (ideally waste such as used cooking oil and fat residues). No palm oil for Liebherr in Ehingen.
Difference to diesel: lower density and fewer exhaust emissions
Addition: in pure form (100 % HVO) or in any ratio with diesel
Norm: EN 15940 (synthetic fuel)
The advantages
For a 5-axle mobile crane, CO₂ emissionsbare reduced by 74%* compared to diesel fuel if pure HVO is used on a permanent basis, assuming that the entire life of the crane, including its production, is taken into account – i.e. “cradle to grave”.
- No modifications are required
- Good compatibility with all engine components
- HVO can be mixed with fossil diesel in any ratio for use in conventional internal combustion engines
- This means that even older Liebherr machines in global fleets can be operated on an essentially climateneutral basis using HVO
- Very good low-temperature resistance (down to at least -20 °C)
- Reduced use of Adblue (around -10 %)
- Lower emissions of nitrogen oxides (around -11 %)
- Fewer soot particulate emissions, especially in vehicles without diesel particle filters
* To achieve the maximum possible CO₂ reduction, the crane must be powered permanently using pure HVO. The CO₂ reductions fall accordingly if lower quantities of HVO are added to the fuel mix.
This article was published in the UpLoad magazine 02 | 2025.
