Mitsui-operated 7-Eleven delivery truck trials B100 biodiesel fuel in Osaka, Japan

Mitsui & Co. Ltd. announced Dec. 25 that it and Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd. will introduce 100 percent biodiesel fuel (B100) on a trial basis for use in a delivery truck servicing 7-Eleven stores.

The trial was scheduled to start Dec. 26 at the Frozen Kobe Center, a combined distribution center in Hyogo Prefecture for 7-Eleven stores.

The B100 that is being used in this new trial is manufactured from used cooking oil.

Since CO2 is absorbed during the growth of the plants used to make cooking oil, the CO2-emission level is considered net zero during combustion, Mitsui stated, adding that the use of B100 fuel is expected to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality.

Compared with conventional diesel fuel, the use of B100 reduces CO2 emissions by 2.62 kilograms per liter.

B100 fuel will be refined from used cooking oil collected from approximately 1,500 7-Eleven stores in Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures.

This fuel will be used in a delivery truck at the Frozen Kobe Center, operated by Mitsui & Co. Retail Group Ltd., to service 7-Eleven stores in the Osaka area.

The procurement and supply management of the biodiesel fuel will also be handled by a 100 percent subsidiary of Mitsui.

In addition to expecting a reduction in CO2 emissions through the use of B100 fuel, this initiative will also gather driving data, such as fuel consumption, to consider future increases in the number of trucks and expansion of the coverage area.

Seven-Eleven and Mitsui see the use of B100 as an effective way to reduce CO2 emissions from land transportation.

Both companies aim to contribute to the development of an environmentally friendly logistics-infrastructure network.

Previous initiatives by the two companies to reduce environmental impacts include the introduction of small hydrogen-powered fuel-cell trucks and electric trucks.