Colas and Saipol (Avril Group) have signed an agreement to supply Colas' fleet of trucks in France with Oleo100, a "B100" renewable bio-based fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 60% compared to diesel fuel, from field to wheel, and slashes fine particle emissions by up to 80%. The initiative will avoid the emission of nearly 46,000 tons of CO2 over a year, once the deployment is completed.

Oleo100 tanks were recently installed at seven Colas' facilities in the French towns of Noyelles-sous Lens, Chaumes-en-Brie, Carcassonne, Saint-Cyr-en-Val, Langon, Tours, Nogent-sur-Vernisson, the first of an initial group of 14 sites to host these connected tanks specially designed for the biofuel before the end of Q1 2022. Saipol supplies and fills the tanks that will be used to power 300 vehicles as they open the way to the energy transition. By 2023, depending on the findings of this first trial, Colas’ ambition is to convert 70% of its truck fleet in France.

The biofuel not only improves the carbon footprint of vehicle fleets; it is manufactured using French rapeseed that is also certified by Saipol, the leading oilseed processor (rapeseed, sunflower, etc.), in Saipol plants located in Le Mériot, Grand-Couronne, and Bassens.

French rapeseed is used to manufacture vegetable proteins, vegetable oil and glycerin, along with renewable energy. Rapeseed-based proteins are used to feed livestock in France, thus reducing the need to import GMO soybean meal farmed in deforested zones. Rapeseed oil is also used in omega-3 rich table oils for human consumption. Only the surplus production is transformed into Oleo100, a plant-based fuel which is a simple and quick way to decarbonize truck fleets as a response to the challenges of energy transition. According to the European Commission, French-grown rapeseed does not lead to deforestation or changes in land use; on the contrary, the French rapeseed crop supports France's energy and protein independence.

“With Oleo100, Colas will have a renewable, non-hazardous energy source that can immediately replace diesel fuel across its entire truck fleet. By relying on the plant-based fuel to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, Colas is also contributing to the agricultural transition led by Saipol and its upstream partners", explains Claire Duhamel, Director of Oleo100 at Saipol (Avril Group). 

"This partnership represents an important step in the effort to decarbonize our vehicle fleet in France. By 2030, the majority of Colas vehicles in France will be powered by low-carbon solutions - biofuel, electricity, green hydrogen, etc.", pursues Jérémy Courtois, Equipment Director at Colas France.

This operation is part of Colas' low-carbon commitment, which has set ambitious targets compatible with the Paris Agreement and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi): reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions by 30% and indirect upstream emissions by 30% by 2030.