Grupo Potencial has acquired the country’s first biodiesel truck. The car on the streets is part of the investment in the first phase of the company’s project, in partnership with the official Scania agent, whose investment is estimated at 26.4 million Brazilian riyals. The company’s goal is to have its entire truck fleet powered by biodiesel.
The main news from Paraná on your WhatsApp
The first truck in the fleet powered by biodiesel went into operation at the end of December 2023, on the route between the Port of Paranagua (PR) and the company’s biodiesel plant, located in Lapa (PR). The car was manufactured in 2019 and has undergone a makeover carried out by Scania. The investment was about R$20,000. According to the company, the group is the first company to have a 100% biodiesel truck in the country. Other companies have hybrid cars in the country.
The company says it has prepared itself for this energy transition. “We were already in contact, over a period of 6 to 8 months, with car manufacturers to urge them on this transformation. Our goal is the energy transformation. We were able to form a partnership with Scania to transform a truck that we already had in the world,” says Rafael Schweicher, Maintenance Director of the Group Potential. And commercial transport BWT: “Fleet, the vehicle had the necessary specifications for transportation.”
To expand the fleet, the company has invested in purchasing 24 trucks that will be adapted to operate as a flex-fuel vehicle, allowing them to run on both biodiesel and regular diesel. “We have got 24 trucks for 2024 and they will start arriving in June. They already have specifications for the conversion.”
The company’s remaining 150 trucks are part of the second phase of the project, for which the group is awaiting partnerships to implement the transition. “We hope to be in contact with other manufacturers. Today we have Volvo, Scania and DAF trucks. We are waiting for the automakers’ comments on the possible conversion,” explains Schftcher.
Renewable fuel reduces CO2 emissions by 95%
The energy transition project has a direct benefit on sustainability. The use of renewable and biodegradable fuel allows trucks to reduce CO2 emissions by 95%. “We intend to work internally to show Brazil that not polluting the environment to this extent is a viable option,” explained Grupo Potencial’s maintenance manager.
According to Schweicher, the company is seeing the first impacts on sustainability and efficient production with the diesel-powered truck. “We are already running our truck. Until then, there were only studies and now we see the application. We can see a decrease in CO2 and the performance of the truck is high. It is the same performance with diesel.
