Contiki, a company that caters to young adults traveling, has made a significant move towards sustainability by shifting their European coaches to biofuel starting in January 2024.
What is Biofuel?
Biofuel is a renewable fuel source made from natural materials like plant or food waste. Contiki specifically uses hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a type of biofuel made entirely from existing waste products. This ensures no extra crops are grown specifically for fuel, addressing deforestation concerns.
Benefits of Biofuel
The main advantage of HVO is the substantial reduction in CO2 emissions, a major contributor to climate change. Contiki’s Global Sustainability Officer, Tasha Hayes, states that HVO produces up to 90% less carbon compared to traditional diesel fuel.
“HVO is a type of diesel, but it’s not derived from fossils; it's made from waste. It can be produced from food waste and plant waste. This might seem like it could contribute to more harm, such as deforestation, but that’s not the case: the HVO that we use is entirely made using existing food and plant waste, so nothing is grown specifically to be used as waste.”
Implementation and Challenges
“It had no impact on the coaches, so it wasn’t difficult there, but what we are doing is figuring out some details on the road,” says Gerco. “Our routes on trip are pretty set, and a lot of them are dictated by re-fueling stops and price, but not all of our currently used stops offer HVO. What we’re trying to figure out is alternate routes that won’t disrupt the trip and driving length too much, while also allowing our drivers to refuel with HVO as much as possible.”
“Currently 38% of our routes allow for HVO and the aim this year is to get to 50%. Luckily, more countries are coming around to it. For example, when we first put this proposal together Italy was tricky because they had no HVO, but since we’ve started this initiative, HVO has become available in Italy. It’s an evolving process.”
Contiki’s transition to biofuel is still in progress. Currently, it is mostly used on coaches provided by Atlas Reizen, their main supplier, in most European tours. Remote or regional trips with non-Contiki coaches are exceptions due to limited control over fuel options.
The biggest challenge lies in route planning. Contiki’s existing routes are often determined by refueling stops and fuel prices. Since not all stops offer HVO yet, the company is working on finding alternate routes that minimize disruptions while maximizing HVO availability. Gerco Don, Managing Director of Atlas Reizen, acknowledges this as an ongoing process, but highlights the increasing adoption of HVO across Europe. For instance, Italy, which initially lacked HVO, now offers it thanks to Contiki’s initiative.
The Future of Biofuel
While electric coaches are available, their limited range makes them unsuitable for Contiki’s long travel distances. HVO serves as a significant temporary solution for cutting emissions. Tasha emphasizes that the goal is continuous reduction of emissions. Biofuel plays a major role in achieving this aim for Contiki’s European operations.
Also, the article talks about Contiki's dedication to achieving Net Zero and explains the distinction between Net Zero and carbon neutrality.
