Neste, Hightowers Petroleum partner to provide renewable diesel to US Midwest customers

Photo: Neste Corp.

Neste Corp. and Hightowers Petroleum Co., a leading wholesale fuel supplier serving customers in the Midwest region in the U.S., have formed a strategic partnership to offer Neste MY Renewable Diesel™—the first Top Tier™-certified renewable diesel fuel.

This partnership enables Hightowers to supply Neste MY Renewable Diesel to customers across the Midwest, where the company sees strong demand for lower-emission fuels, especially from the automobile industry.

Many car manufacturers have committed to reducing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from “first fills”—I.e., resulting from the use of the fuel to fill new vehicles when leaving the production line to ensure they meet technical, storage and environmental requirements between the assembly lines and the delivery to customers.

With the use of Neste MY Renewable Diesel, GHG emissions can be effectively reduced by up to 75 percent compared with fossil diesel over its lifecycle.

As a drop-in solution, Neste said its renewable diesel is compatible with all diesel engines, making it an ideal choice for first fill and testing.

“Neste has been supplying renewable diesel to the U.S. West Coast since 2016, and this lower-carbon, more sustainable fuel has already helped many businesses and cities reduce GHG emissions significantly,” said Carrie Song, Neste’s vice president of renewable road transportation for the Americas. “We are excited to partner with Hightowers Petroleum and enable businesses and cities now also in the Midwest region to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and take advantage of this widely available solution to reach their ambitious climate goals.”

Stephen Hightower, president and CEO of Hightowers Petroleum, added, “We serve customers who demand the highest quality of fuel, but also are making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Neste MY Renewable Diesel addresses both of those needs with flying colors, providing immediate GHG-emissions reductions while delivering high performance and potentially reducing maintenance costs.”

In addition to reducing GHG emissions, renewable diesel brings other benefits and delivers strong performance.

“Because it does not contain sulfur, oxygen or aromatic compounds, it combusts cleaner,” Neste stated. “As a result, vehicles that run on Neste MY Renewable Diesel may require less maintenance. Additionally, Neste MY Renewable Diesel has outstanding cold-weather performance, suitable for cold-weather conditions as low as minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius). Its high cetane number also gives better start-up and throttle response, which can be particularly useful to businesses with a lot of variety in usage during different seasons.”

Neste noted that, over the past decade, it has partnered with fuel distributors to create “America’s leading renewable diesel distribution and marketing network.”

Neste was one of the first companies to supply renewable diesel into California and Oregon, and today the company is rapidly expanding its production, fueling-station network and distribution capabilities to meet the growing demand across the U.S.

Neste said it is also currently the only global provider of renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and renewable feedstock for polymers and chemicals with a production footprint on three continents.