Family-owned, veteran-operated fuel company Broco Oil has been contracted to provide biodiesel-blended heating oil for use in Boston’s city-owned buildings, including firehouses, police stations and other municipal facilities.

Broco Oil’s heating oil is a B20 Bioheat fuel blend containing 20 percent biodiesel, a renewable liquid fuel that significantly reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with petroleum-based diesel fuel and heating oil. Through a partnership announced in May 2019, Broco Oil purchases its biodiesel from Renewable Energy Group Inc. The fuel is transported via rail from REG’s Midwest production facilities to Broco’s rail-connected bulk plant in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where it is stored, blended on demand and sold to commercial customers. Broco Oil also has its own fleet of trucks that delivers blended B20 Bioheat fuel for residential and commercial use.

Under the terms of Broco Oil’s contract with the city of Boston, the company will deliver heating oil to sites maintained and operated by the following city departments: fire, parks and recreation, police, property management, public schools, public works and transportation. Broco Oil has been contracted for one year, beginning Nov. 1. The company completed its first contracted delivery Nov. 6 for the public works department’s Andrew McArdle Bridge House in East Boston.

“This is great news for REG, Broco Oil and the city of Boston,” said Gary Haer, vice president of sales and marketing for REG. “REG is excited to partner with Broco to deliver high-quality, lower-carbon fuel options that can safely and effectively reduce Boston buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions.”

The contract calls for Broco to deliver an estimated annual volume of 90,000 gallons of heating oil. At B20, this will reduce the city of Boston’s carbon dioxide equivalent building emissions by 322,560 pounds, the equivalent GHG emissions of 357,728 passenger vehicle miles according to the U.S. EPA.

“We are proud to partner with the city of Boston to provide Bioheat fuel blends for its firehouses and other municipal buildings,” said Robert Brown, owner of Broco Oil. “As an active fire captain, I am personally honored to be able to serve these sites that play a vital role in protecting our communities.”