How it’s produced
Renewable propane is made from a variety of renewable feedstocks like vegetable oil, animal fats, or used cooking oil. One of the newer feedstocks is the oil contained in camelina seeds. Because camelina is not a food crop, its production is highly scalable, allowing for production to ramp up quickly as more farmers adopt camelina as a cover crop.
Beyond traditional feedstocks, researchers are exploring new ways to produce renewable propane. Recent studies show the energy source can be made by breaking down plastics, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and by converting captured carbon dioxide into renewable propane. These advancements reduce waste while increasing the availability of low-carbon energy options for fleets.
How clean is renewable propane?
Energy sources are measured by their carbon intensity scores—or how much carbon is produced by the energy source. While the carbon intensity of renewable propane depends on the feedstock, it’s lower than many other fuels. Renewable propane derived from used cooking oil has a carbon intensity score of just 20.5, compared with 79 for conventional propane and 130 for the average U.S. electricity grid. Renewable propane made from camelina has one of the lowest carbon intensities, with studies showing it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60%.
As with conventional propane, renewable propane also provides significantly reduced nitrogen oxide emissions and virtually no particulate matter, with an even lower carbon intensity for fleet owners.
Current availability
Currently, more than 4.5 million gallons of renewable propane are produced every year. While sometimes used by itself as a vehicle fuel, renewable propane can also be added to innovative blends to provide more fleets an opportunity to reap the low-carbon benefits of the energy source. Within the next few years, 100 million gallons of renewable propane will likely be available with a total potential of 300 million gallons in the next decade. In fact, by 2050, renewable propane could meet half the world’s demand for non-chemical propane, according to the World LP Gas Association. The push for cleaner liquid fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel fuel will lead to an increase in renewable propane production.
Many businesses across the United States are now offering renewable propane to fleet owners. In 2023, the Pride Travel Center became the first facility in Connecticut to offer renewable propane alongside other alternative fuels. NGL Supply Wholesale in Massachusetts is providing renewable propane at its Springfield terminal, expanding access in the Northeast. On the West Coast, U-Haul locations in California are offering the fuel as part of the company’s sustainability initiatives.
Fleet adoption
Thanks to increased production, fleets across the country are using renewable propane. In Raleigh, North Carolina, the city transitioned a portion of its fleet to run on renewable propane with a goal to reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. Of the city’s 4,600 vehicles, 85% run on some type of alternative energy, and renewable propane is playing a pivotal role in those emissions reductions.
In Petersburg, Virginia, 49 police and shuttle vehicles operate on renewable propane as part of the city’s sustainability efforts, demonstrating how municipalities can incorporate low-carbon energy into their operations.
School districts from coast to coast are also adopting renewable propane. Beaverton School District in Oregon, for example, has integrated renewable propane into 66 of its propane-powered Type C buses that save the district more than $200,000 in fuel costs alone compared with diesel. Meanwhile, at Bonny Eagle School District, which operates the largest public school bus fleet in Maine, nearly 80% of the fleet now runs on renewable propane.
As fleet owners navigate the evolution to lower-carbon energy sources, renewable propane provides an option that balances sustainability with practicality. With its growing availability, seamless integration into existing infrastructure, and ability to reduce emissions, renewable propane is now positioned to play an important role in the future of clean transportation.
