Decarbonizing transport
The transport sector accounts for about 60% of total oil demand, according to the International Energy Agency1. At bp, we’re working across a number of our businesses to provide customers with different energy sources that can help decarbonize transport – whether that’s in the air, on the road or at sea.
This work supports our ambition to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero.
Air side: we’re supplying sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
While electricity and hydrogen will have a role to play in future aviation, today and in the medium term, we see sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as the most viable option to help decarbonize aviation.
SAF is made from lower carbon feedstocks including waste materials – such as vegetable oils, starches or agricultural, forestry or household waste. It is then mixed safely with traditional jet fuel, and does not need new infrastructure at airports or changes to aircraft for use.
SAF typically offers a potential reduction of up to 80% in carbon emissions over the lifecycle of the fuel, compared to the conventional jet fuel it replaces. The actual reduction in lifecycle carbon emissions depends on factors such as type of feedstock, production method and supply chain used to the airport.
Air bp, bp’s aviation fuelling business, was the first operator to start the commercial supply of SAF through an existing airport fuelling system in 2016, at Norway’s Oslo airport. We’ve now supplied more than 30 locations with SAF.
As well as sourcing SAF from other producers, bp is also increasing production at our own refineries through co-processing. Today, we supply co-processed SAF from our Castellón refinery in Spain and Lingen in Germany.
.jpg.img.50.medium.jpg "Air bp sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) truck is seen on the tarmac as part of its plane refuelling activities at Clermont-Ferrand airport, France.")
Road side: we’re supplying different energy types from electrons to biofuels
The energy mix of the future will include several lower and low carbon solutions to help enable the decarbonization of road transport. bp is already supplying a range of products to help customers – whether individuals or businesses – with the energy transition.
Fleet focus
bp serves a huge range of fleet customers around the world, from ride hailers to bus operators, delivery services to logistics companies. Every fleet is different – meaning every transition will look different.
Their vehicles range in size from cars and vans, to mid-range trucks and heavy-duty lorries. As our customers navigate the energy transition, we’ll offer a range of energy choices to meet their evolving needs.
Our customers tell us that they are increasingly moving their lighter-duty fleets towards electric vehicles, learning how best to run and optimize their fleets using this type of energy.
Meanwhile, for many medium and heavy-duty fleet customers, lower carbon energy choices will likely depend on their different uses. Medium-size trucks that travel shorter distances and frequently return to base are more likely to want to go electric, whereas low-carbon hydrogen is expected to ultimately play a role for heavy-duty, long haul transport – due to its longer range and faster refuelling time.
Charging…for passenger cars
bp pulse, our global electric vehicle charging business, provides fast charging in convenient locations for drivers who have made the switch to electric.
We have more than 27,000 charge points available today in 11 countries. Drivers can find them at our retail sites, at standalone charging hubs, or at other destinations such as shopping centres.
Today, about 60% of our chargers around the world are what’s known as rapid (more than 50kW) or ultra-fast (150kW or faster) and by 2030, we’re aiming for 90%. A 150kW charger could provide up to 100 miles of range in about 15 minutes, depending on vehicle model, battery size and weather conditions.
Charging…for fleets
In some countries, and cities in particular, commercial fleets were among the first to go electric. Ride-hailers and lighter-weight vehicles – such as vans – quickly saw the benefits, as businesses find EVs more cost-effective to run, while helping to meet their sustainability goals.
Many businesses need access to a range of different charging solutions to keep their fleets moving. bp pulse can provide office or depot charging for professional drivers while at the workplace, and dedicated fleet charging hubs for easy use while out and about.
Charging for…trucks
Vehicle technology is moving fast in some areas – and that includes the development of larger batteries to power medium-heavy duty trucks.
bp is starting to roll out dedicated charging for freight operators and fleets, with a focus on major logistics corridors.
In Germany, we’ve launched Europe’s first charging corridor for E-Trucks, offering ultra-fast 300kW charge points, ultimately along a 600km stretch of the Rhine-Alpine corridor.
Lower carbon fuels
For businesses taking time to learn which transition technologies are right operationally and economically for their fleet, there are other solutions planned that can make a difference to a fleet’s lifecycle carbon emissions.
bp is working to provide renewable diesel, or Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), for trucks at some of our retail sites. This is produced from used vegetable oils, wastes and residues by co-processing hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) feeds with fossil fuels – or through standalone bio units. HVO can act as a drop-in replacement for conventional diesel for many vehicles.
Meanwhile, we’re also working to increase the supply of biomethane products for customers, including bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) and bio-liquefied natural gas (bio-LNG), which can be generated by adding bacteria to organic waste.
In 2021, we invested in Gasrec, the UK’s largest provider of bio-LNG and bio-CNG for road transport. Gasrec built the UK’s first bio-LNG station and today refuels around 40% of the UK’s gas-powered heavy-duty trucks.
Low carbon hydrogen
Low carbon hydrogen has the potential to play an important role to help decarbonize transport, especially heavy-duty long haul fleets. It is still a little way down the road in development terms. Growth is likely to come after 2030, according to bp’s Energy Outlook, as falling costs of production and tightening carbon emissions policies, allow it to compete against other energy types.
.jpg.img.50.medium.jpg "rtist’s impression of a future hydrogen refueller at bp Australia truck stop in Queensland, in partnership with gas and engineering company BOC. (As at announcement July 2022)")
Artist’s impression of a future hydrogen refueller at bp Australia truck stop in Queensland, in partnership with gas and engineering company BOC. (Announcement July 2022)
It can be made in different ways and, when used in a fuel cell, it is turned into electricity to power a vehicle – with water vapour as the tailpipe emission.
We recognize that the use of hydrogen in decarbonizing transport will evolve as technology matures; it is likely to be most effective where energy density requirements (how much energy it can store in a given volume) or duty cycles and refuelling times make it the most suitable low carbon fuel.
We are working to deliver the use of – and access to – hydrogen along main road networks, with an early focus on Germany and the UK. Vehicle technology and fuelling infrastructure are also in a development phase; we are working with manufacturers – such as Daimler Truck AG in the UK – to explore how to speed up the introduction of a hydrogen network, supporting the roll-out of hydrogen-powered trucks.
Water side: we’re trialling alternative fuel types to help decarbonize shipping
Biofuels, made from a number of sustainable sources, can be blended with traditional marine fuels to produce a ‘drop-in’ alternative into conventional engines to help reduce the lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions of marine fuel. As part of efforts to help the shipping industry navigate to net zero, bp has been trialling biofuels blends on bp-operated and third-party vessels with good results on performance and asset reliability.
Hydrogen-derived fuels, such as ammonia, methanol, compressed and liquefied hydrogen, are expected to also play an important role in the shipping decarbonization journey. bp is actively working to establish supplies of some of these low and lower carbon alternatives with a view to making them available to marine customers as demand develops.
1: International Energy Agency - oil demand
2: International Energy Agency - aviation
3: International Energy Agency - electric vehicles
4: Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
5: International Energy Agency - shipping
And,
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The world's transition to a more secure, more affordable, lower carbon energy system needs massive investment in lower carbon energies AND continued investment in oil and gas as the alternatives grow. We're transforming bp to play our part – discover more below
Our transformation
