Gothenburg RoRo Terminal has surpassed one million operating hours on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) across its machine fleet, marking a significant milestone in its long-term sustainability strategy and collaboration with Volvo Penta.
The achievement reflects more than a decade of cooperation between the terminal and Volvo Penta, which began in 2014. Located close to Volvo Penta’s headquarters in Gothenburg, the terminal has become a valuable real-world testing environment for new driveline technologies and sustainable fuel solutions.
“Our partnership with Volvo Penta has been ongoing since 2014,” said Göran Dittmer, Technical Manager at Gothenburg RoRo Terminal. “We provide the machines and operational environment while Volvo Penta uses this to test and validate driveline solutions and collect data that supports future development.”
The terminal began its transition to HVO in 2018 with a 40 percent fuel blend before converting its entire fleet to 100 percent HVO the following year, including machines powered by engines dating back to 1999.
According to the terminal, carbon dioxide emissions per unit have fallen to around one third of previous levels, allowing cargo volumes to grow while remaining within environmental targets.
Beyond alternative fuels, the collaboration has supported testing of new technologies including electric driveline development, hydrogen injectors, turbocharger systems and component validation under demanding operating conditions.
“The value of piloting these technologies is enormous,” said Göran Dittmer. “It gives both the port and Volvo Penta practical experience before products reach the market and helps plan for future infrastructure and regulatory requirements.”
While HVO has helped meet current emissions goals, the terminal is also exploring future solutions including electrification, hydrogen technologies and potential retrofit programmes to extend machine life.
“It’s a strong foundation for future sustainable solutions, including electrification and hydrogen,” concluded Göran Dittmer.
