With proactive maintenance and the right fuels and lubricants, the construction industry can address sustainability and reduce emissions. The Viva Energy Australia team explains.
The construction industry has a key role to play in global efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of reaching net zero by 2050. Currently, urban environments account for 39 per cent of the world’s gross annual carbon emissions – meaning construction companies are on a journey to decarbonise their operations and the buildings they put up.1
To advance this journey, investments in solutions that deliver greater energy efficiency and lower carbon intensity have increased. In 2021 these investments rose by 16 per cent to $237 billion, showing the importance of sustainability in the industry.2
However, with demand continuing to rise, efforts to improve efficiency must keep pace with the amount of floor space created by construction.2 There is still plenty of road ahead for companies working to become more sustainable – along with plenty of solutions available to help them lay the foundations for their transition to net zero.
Viva Energy Australia, the Shell Licensee and Lubricants Macro Distributor in Australia, works closely with the Shell global teams to keep up to date with global trends in construction, and can help businesses explore ways to build a more sustainable work site. Some of the solutions Viva Energy can assist with include:
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Driving productivity through proactive maintenance
Four in 10 construction companies say they often experience breakdowns because of ineffective lubrication, with 72 per cent stating that issues with equipment reliability have led to unexpected costs.3 And the more inefficient equipment is, the longer work will take and the more emissions a site is likely to generate. Effective maintenance helps to maximise equipment availability and up-time, and using high-performance lubricants can also improve fuel economy, helping to reduce CO2 emissions by 2.4 per cent.4
“There are effective ways to find the right lubricant for each piece of equipment to drive efficiency,” says Silvana Farrugia, Technical Helpdesk Specialist at Viva Energy Australia. “We recommend customers use the free online tool like Shell LubeMatch, or contact us at the Viva Energy Technical Helpdesk to find out the best lubricant choices for heavy-duty equipment.”
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Protecting equipment and the environment with biodegradable lubricants
Readily biodegradable lubricants protect a company’s equipment as well as the sensitive ecosystems in which they operate. Shell Naturelle lubricants are classed as readily biodegradable, meaning they are safe for the environment and have low ecotoxicity, so they won’t harm plants or animals should an accidental leak or spill take place.5 The use of solar power during production of these lubricants also helps to reduce emissions, with any remaining unavoidable emissions compensated for to make the fluids carbon neutral.5 By using these types of lubricants, construction companies can improve the sustainability of their operations without compromising performance.
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Reducing carbon emissions to fuel your business
The Viva Energy Carbon Solutions team is on a mission to help customers use more sustainable products to fuel their businesses. Some of these include Renewable Diesel, or Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), which is made from sustainably sourced renewable raw materials such as used cooking oil and animal fat from food industry waste. And they also offer Biodiesel (FAME) which can be used as an alternative to conventional diesel. It’s produced from renewable feedstocks through a process called transesterification.
Ben Ramsay, Viva Energy Carbon Solution’s Account Manager, says: “Compared to standard diesel, biodiesel has the potential to reduce carbon monoxide emissions and particulate matter, improve fuel lubricity, and raise the cetane index. As part of a business’s decarbonisation strategy, it’s a short to medium-term solution that we can assist them with.”
Viva Energy has also released a range of opt-in carbon fuels and products, certified under the Australian Government’s Climate Active scheme, which can be tailored to provide optimal solutions for emissions reduction today and into the future.
“Because our products require no physical change to be certified carbon neutral, they can be used as you’ve always used them – with the same machinery and infrastructure,” explains Ben. “This makes them a low-cost alternative to other sustainability options. Our Carbon Solutions offer is an end-to-end offsetting service with the purchase and retirement of offsets on your behalf.”
Viva Energy Australia, and Shell Lubricants are equipped to help construction businesses deliver on their sustainability ambitions, while also keeping their equipment running smoothly and their projects running to time and on budget.
For more information speak to one of our experts at Viva Energy Australia, call 1300 134 205, or email technicalhelpdesk@vivaenergy.com.au / carbonsolutions@vivaenergy.com.au
1 World Economic Forum. “This is the next hurdle in the construction industry’s race to net-zero.” 2022.
2 UN Environment Programme. “CO2 emissions from buildings and construction hit new high, leaving sector off track to decarbonize by 2050: UN.” 2022.
3 Shell. “Predictive and Preventive Maintenance.” N.D.
4 Based on Shell Internal test data.
5 Shell. “Five Things to Know About Shell Naturelle.” N.D.