The Nordic Swan ecolabel – a guarantee of quality
VAROPreem, a leading European energy company formed by combining Switzerland's VARO Energy Marketing AG (VARO) with the Swedish oil refining company and renewable fuel producer Preem AB, has announced that it is beginning to sell the eco-labelled renewable diesel Preem Redefine HVO100 carrying the Nordic Swan ecolabel in Norway. The renewable diesel meets the strict Nordic Swan ecolabel requirements on the use of responsibly sourced, traceable and controlled raw materials, as well as the mandatory documentation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The Nordic Swan ecolabel is the official ecolabel of the Nordic countries, awarded only to those products and services that meet strict environmental standards.
Norway, along with the other Nordic countries and the European Union, faces an urgent need for change, because the supply of energy resources is under threat. VAROPreem renewable diesel bearing the Nordic Swan label is an important part of the solution. Several energy sources will have to be used in order to secure both the energy that is needed and the transition to renewable fuels. Bjørn Olav Strandli, market manager at Nordic Swan Ecolabel, stressed that this is highly significant news for the transport sector and for other customers looking for an alternative.
Produced in Gothenburg
Redefine HVO100 fuel is produced at the VAROPreem plant in Gothenburg; initially it will be available wholesale on the Norwegian market to commercial customers, who will then sell it on at filling stations.
The fuel is produced from raw materials obtained in forestry and agriculture, not from palm oil, palm residues or soya oil. As calculated in accordance with Article 31 of the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), such fuel delivers a reduction of at least 90% in fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions compared with fossil diesel.
According to information provided by VAROPreem, the reduction in emissions is significant because, although almost all newly registered passenger cars in Norway are electric vehicles, the country still has more than a million diesel-powered passenger cars and around 700,000 commercial vehicles.
Norway is an example when it comes to electrification. Over time, most vehicles in the country will be electric, although the transition will take time. Next-generation fuels have an important place in further reducing emissions in Norway. "By choosing Preem Redefine HVO100, Norwegian drivers – including those in the commercial transport sector – can already switch today from fossil fuel to next-generation alternatives without changing their vehicles," said Magnus Heimburg, commercial executive director at VAROPreem.
The technology is ready for "fuels of the future"
Turning to further achievements in the use of biofuel, it is worth highlighting that the 23rd international conference "Fuels of the Future 2026. 'Turbocharge, Take Off with Renewables'", held in Berlin on 20 January 2026, ended on an optimistic note. More than 620 experts from policy, business, science and industry organisations gathered to discuss the role of renewable fuels in climate-neutral mobility and to identify the specific actions needed for active market development.
This was the first major international biofuel conference of 2026. It was organised by Bundesverband Bioenergie e.V (BBE), the Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP), the German Bioethanol Industry Association (BDBe), Fachverband Biogas and the Association of the German Biofuels Industry (VDB), and was attended by representatives of the European biofuel industry.
The first day of the conference focused on a presentation by German Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder on the German federal government's ideas regarding climate-friendly mobility, as well as on the political, regulatory and economic conditions that encourage far wider use of renewable fuels. The discussions covered current developments in Germany's implementation of the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), the further development of greenhouse gas (GHG) quotas and compliance with certification requirements, along with fraud prevention and investment security.
Quotas for biofuel produced from biomass must be increased
Industry representatives welcomed the German government's decision on the further development of greenhouse gas quotas. The quotas provide an important incentive for investment and for preventing fraud. Conference participants noted that, in order to make use of the existing biofuel potential, the maximum quota for sustainable biofuel produced from plant biomass must be increased. Addressing climate issues requires a short-term increase in the blending of bioethanol and biodiesel, so that biofuel retains its role in climate protection despite falling fuel consumption. This calls for greater flexibility in the existing rules on the use of petrol and diesel.
Conference participants agreed that biofuels already make a decisive contribution to reducing greenhouse gases in the short term and are "needed as an immediately available solution for the existing vehicle fleet and infrastructure". In addition, the market introduction of advanced biofuels and synthetic fuels must be accelerated. These measures require technology-neutral instruments, such as the allocation of renewable fuel credits towards vehicle carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission limits, and stable quota rules over the long term.
Proven technological solutions
At the close of the conference, representatives of the biofuel industry reached a positive conclusion: the technical solutions are available and have been tested in practice, and the task now is to shape the political and regulatory framework so as to encourage investment and enable a larger share of renewable fuels to be brought to market. According to the conference organisers, "Fuels of the Future 2026" once again "confirmed its importance as an excellent platform for dialogue on technology-neutral, climate-friendly mobility and as a source of inspiration for policy and business".
The next, 24th "Fuels of the Future" conference will take place on 18–19 January 2027 at the CityCube in Berlin.