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B30
Solution for personal road transport
About the project
The B30 project was launched in 2021 on the initiative of biofuel producers from Envien Group, in cooperation with fuels distributors Solar 2009 and Petroltrans, aiming at demonstrating the possibility of immediately and without delays implementing green mobility in a corporate fleet.
The goal of the project is to showcase a solution and achieve an increase in the share of biofuels used in fossil fuels in the personal automobile transport sector. It is an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impact of transport emissions on air quality. The B30 project builds on previously successfully implemented subprojects B20 and B100.
Implementing B30 was quick and simple as vehicles running on B30 fuel (containing up to 30% biodiesel and approximately 70% fossil diesel) are readily available. These include all newer diesel vehicles from manufacturers such as Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, and DS.
Envien Group picked the most suitable vehicles from this range, and as the first group of companies in Slovakia, it began operating B30-powered vehicles across its fleet.
How was the project carried out?
The purchase of new passenger vehicles and the installation of a separate tank for storing fuel, along with a B30 fuel dispenser located at the Solar 2009 fuel station near the Envien Group production plants in Leopoldov, were essential for the successful implementation of the project. The fuel was produced in accordance with valid technical standards by Petroltrans in Kežmarok, blending 100% biodiesel from Envien Group’s production with fossil diesel. B30 fuel was not commercially available at the time the project was being implemented; the ambition was to show a simple way to gradually introduce B30 eco-diesel into closed vehicle fleets and launch it on a larger scale later.
The project was completed in the autumn of 2025, following the amendment to Decree No. 251/2023 of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic on fuel quality, which transposed the revision of the EU Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) and abolished the possibility of selling diesel with a renewable diesel (FAME) content higher than 10%.
What is B30 fuel?
B30 fuel contains up to 30% biodiesel, also known as FAME (vegetable oil methyl ester or Fatty Acid Methyl Esther), produced from various types of vegetable oils. The oils, or their mixture, from which the final biodiesel is produced, is determined by feedstock availability and used production technology. Biodiesel is also produced from used cooking oils and fats.
In Slovakia, biodiesel is produced by Meroco in Leopoldov in accordance with the STN EN 14214 technical standard, and utilizing a significantly less energy intense process compared to production of diesel fuel from fossil oil. Most of the feedstocks used in biodiesel production are of Slovak origin, there is therefore no need for their import. As part of the waste-free production process of biodiesel, rapeseed meal, which serves as a high-value feed for farm animals, is also produced, thus contributing to Slovakia’s food self-sufficiency. The certification of biodiesel production is carried out by a renowned auditing company according to the globally recognized ISCC certification scheme, with certification carried out in accordance with strict environmental impact assessments.
The remaining 70% of the B30 fuel composition is standard fossil diesel.
Ecological diesel B20 and B30 banned in Slovakia
An amendment to the Regulation of the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic No. 251/2023 Coll. on Fuel Quality entered into force on this year’s September 8, transposing the revision of the European Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) into Slovak national law, and abolishing the sale of diesel containing more than 10 % renewable diesel (FAME). This amendment effectively means a ban on the sale of B20 and B30 ecodiesel fuels, containing twenty or thirty per cent of bio-fuel.
The Ministry of Environment is obliged to apply this legislation despite the fact that the revision of the directive contradicts the declared objectives of the European Union regarding reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable fuels offer a proven, readily available, and versatile pathway to decarbonizing road transport that works in practice — complementing other technologies with a flexible, technology-neutral approach.
However, the amendment to the regulation itself is based on a formalistic interpretation of the FQD Directive, neglecting its intended purpose, which remains to be the decarbonization of transport and which cannot be achieved by banning or restricting carbon-neutral technologies. The aim of the Fuel Quality Directive is to protect consumers when selling fuels, while the B20 and B30 ecodiesels are intended mainly for use in corporate fleets. This is also reflected in the technical standards that regulate its quality. It is a paradox that the legislative package that set ambitious targets for decarbonizing transport also bans one of the available and established ways of achieving these targets.
It is also worth noting that several car models are available on the Slovak market that have been adapted and tested for B20 and B30 fuels by the manufacturer. The whole situation is slightly absurd, considering the fact that even after the amendment to the regulation enters into force, it will still be legal to sell 100 % biodiesel (B100), which also shall be used in specially adapted vehicle. However, the FQD does not consider B100 as diesel fuel, therefore restrictions do not apply to its sales.
As part of the Biojazda project, B20 and B30 fuels have been sold since 2021. During this period, more than 220,000 litres of B20 and B30 diesel were used, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in transport. Compared to standard diesel (B7), B20 fuel reduces emissions by more than 9 % per liter. In the case of B30, the savings reach up to 15 %. In practice, it is an affordable and cost-effective tool for decarbonizing road transport, proven under real operating conditions.
B100 fuel with proven emission savings of up to 70%, supplied by Envien Group member Meroco as part of the Biojazda.sk project, remains in pilot operation and is unaffected by recent changes.
Envien Group's perceives the implementation of the B30 project positively. Unfortunately, due to the imposed ban, it will be suspended indefinitely. The Slovak Biofuels Association 's (ZVVB, Združenie pre výrobu a využitie biopalív) future recommendations will also include a proposal to reconsider the ban on B20 and B30 fuels as part of the future revisions of the FQD directive.
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