20. January 2026, 08:14 o'Clock
Article: HVO reduces CO₂ immediately: Why available technologies should be used now
DB Cargo in talks with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology about HVO and practical solutions for rail freight transport.
DB Cargo is actively promoting the reduction of CO₂ emissions in rail freight transport. A key component of this is the use of HVO as an alternative fuel for diesel locomotives.In a discussion with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Jörg Schneider, Head of Sustainability at DB Cargo, and Dr Olaf Toedter, Head of New Technologies and Ignition Systems at KIT, discuss which technologies are available today, what impact they have – and why speed is crucial.
Interview:
Mr Schneider, DB Cargo is using 13 million litres of HVO for its locomotives in Germany this year. How easy is that?Jörg Schneider: It's very simple: where HVO is available, we refuel with HVO. Where it isn't, we use fossil diesel. Our locomotives are designed to run on HVO and fossil diesel in any mixture ratio. In 2026, we will break the 50 per cent mark in Germany. Then our locomotives will refuel with just as much fossil diesel as HVO. Internationally, we are not yet that far along everywhere. In northern Italy, thanks to political support, all our trains already run on HVO. In Eastern Europe, on the other hand, it often fails due to availability and bureaucracy.
Dr Toedter, HVO is often referred to as a 'bridge technology'. Are we underestimating its long-term significance?Dr Olaf Toedter: Absolutely! HVO is currently the most climate-friendly solution we have. We are reducing CO₂ emissions by around 90 per cent. As long as there is no better alternative in sight – and I don't see one in the next ten years or so – HVO is the technology. Period. It is not a transition, but a real solution.Jörg Schneider: It is only thanks to HVO that we are able to meet our climate targets today. But honestly, HVO does not solve the problem of local emissions – CO₂ and nitrogen oxides are still produced, albeit significantly less. If the regulations become stricter, we will have to reassess the situation. But currently, there is no better option for freight transport. If HVO did not exist, we would have to take our diesel locomotives out of service.
Dr Toedter, you say that the internal combustion engine is not the climate problem, but rather fossil fuels. Why is that?Dr Olaf Toedter: Quite simply, with fossil diesel, we extract carbon from the ground and emit it into the air as CO₂. With HVO or eFuels, we use carbon that is already in the atmosphere – for example, from waste or through power-to-X processes. The cycle is closed, and the balance is much better. The engine itself is only a converter. The problem is the energy source.
Dr Toedter, you say that CO₂ remains in the atmosphere for around 100 years. Why does that make the situation so urgent?Dr Olaf Toedter: Because we no longer have the time to wait. Every kilogram of CO₂ we emit today pollutes the atmosphere for a century. If we want to achieve the 1.5-degree target, we must reduce emissions immediately – not in ten or twenty years. The later we start, the more radical the measures will have to be. And radical measures mean economic and social upheaval. With rail, it's not about perfectionism, it's about speed. HVO and eFuels are available today – so why not use what works? Every year of discussion costs us options. Physics doesn't wait for compromises.
Jörg Schneider: That's exactly what we're seeing at DB Cargo. Some of our customers – from the chemical to the automotive industry – have set themselves very ambitious climate neutrality targets for 2035 or 2040. They won't achieve them if we don't convert our logistics chains within the next ten years. With HVO, we are already reducing CO₂ emissions by around 90 per cent compared to fossil diesel. This is not a theoretical scenario, but a reality. The question is not whether we will make the switch, but how quickly we can adapt the infrastructure and use HVO in the long term under economic conditions.
Can we all switch over without any problems?Dr Olaf Toedter: Are you referring to the availability of raw materials? No problem. The US Department of Agriculture shows that HVO production can be ramped up. But we need reliable certification. If a supplier claims that their HVO comes from certified waste, that has to be true. Otherwise, we're buying a pig in a poke. The EU rules are in place – they're just not being consistently implemented.Jörg Schneider: In northern Italy, we have already successfully switched to HVO, as politicians have created price parity with fossil diesel through tax incentives. In Eastern Europe, there is a lack of suppliers and filling stations. This is not a technical problem, but a regulatory one.
What would need to happen for HVO to be introduced more quickly?Dr Olaf Toedter: The tax burden on fossil fuels is enormous: 60–65 per cent. If we put HVO on an equal footing in terms of taxation, the price would be identical – and everyone would switch. The USA is leading the way: the Inflation Reduction Act provides tax rebates for CO₂-saving technologies.
Another important topic is eFuels – fuels that are synthetically produced from hydrogen and CO₂. What is preventing their ramp-up?Dr Olaf Toedter: The technology is there, but the framework conditions are too restrictive. Rigid regulations are currently slowing down the ramp-up. We need flexibility – for example, through quotas or tax breaks. Today, eFuel costs twice as much as diesel because production has not yet been scaled up. If we accelerate the market launch, prices will fall.
What will the drive system of the future look like?Dr Olaf Toedter: In the short term, we are optimising diesel and fuels – making them more efficient, cleaner and climate-neutral. In the medium term, I see high-performance batteries in combination with overhead line islands and high-efficiency motors for longer distances. In the long term? Perhaps nuclear fusion. But until then, we need pragmatic solutions – and we have those today.Jörg Schneider: "Rail transport is not only the safest, but also the most environmentally friendly means of freight transport. The physics remain the same: steel on steel rails generates significantly less rolling resistance than rubber on asphalt. , we do not expect any major technical revolution in rail freight transport over the next 10 years for operations on non-electrified lines. And as long as we don't have a better alternative to the diesel engine, we will continue to rely on HVO – because it works."
What message would you like to end this interview with?Dr Olaf Toedter: Let the market decide – and reward what works! Define the goal clearly. And then allow any technology that contributes to it – whether HVO, hydrogen or batteries. The state should not dictate the path, but the goal.Jörg Schneider: And stop demonising internal combustion engines. The technology is not the problem – the fuel used is. If we want climate-friendly freight trains, we must stop waiting for supposedly perfect solutions – and start implementing what works and is already contributing to climate protection today.
DB Cargo is actively shaping the future of climate-friendly freight transport. With HVO and innovative drive technologies, we are already significantly reducing CO₂ emissions and consistently driving forward the transition to sustainable logistics. Our goal: safe, efficient and environmentally friendly transport solutions – today and in the future.
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