Shell announced that it has launched its pilot program with Maxim’s Group to use biodiesel from Maxim’s used cooking oil to power its fleet in Hong Kong. The first-of-its-kind program in Hong Kong will support more than 100 delivery trucks, with annual consumption of 396,000 liters (104,612 gallons). Maxim’s Group is the first restaurant group in Hong Kong to join this program.

As the first and only biodiesel provider in Hong Kong through retail oil stations, Shell has been a pioneer provider of responsible energy solutions for corporations to contribute to Hong Kong’s sustainability since 2016. This partnership has unlocked more benefits of biofuel, stepping towards a more sustainable energy mix.

Shell has recently made biodiesel available at Shell’s Tai Po Market station, the third station providing biodiesel, which expanded the coverage of the sustainable fuel to encourage biodiesel adoption among commercial fleet customers. The other two stations providing biodiesel are located at Tsing Yi and Hong Kong International Airport.

Shell sources B100 and blends into diesel fuel while managing the end-to-end quality assurance to get the high-quality fuel customers expect. This improves Hong Kong’s energy security, particularly when domestic raw materials are produced sustainably. The use of biodiesel also lowers “well-to-wheel” CO2 by providing a more sustainable alternative to conventional diesel. The fuel’s advanced formulation helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advances towards the sustainability goals of commercial customers in the city.

Anne Yu, retail general manager of Shell Hong Kong Ltd., said, “Shell is proud to announce this first-of-its-kind partnership with Maxim’s Group. Together we take this important step towards a more sustainable energy future for Hong Kong. Biofuels are a smart solution because they reduce well-to-wheel CO2 and upcycle domestic waste materials. By transforming cooking oil into useable fuel, we can reduce both local waste and CO2 emissions, while providing energy security for Hong Kong. With over 30 years of experience in distributing biofuels globally, Shell is committed to the further development of bioenergy.”

Patrick So, general manager of cakes and bakery and branded products of Maxim’s Group, said, “Maxim’s Group is committed in environmental protection through various key initiatives since 2009, including our signature Surplus Bread Donation Program, which enables volunteers to collect surplus bread from our cake shops across town and donate to the needy. Giving waste a second life has been extended to upcycling used cooking oil at Maxim’s restaurants to energy. We are happy to partner with Shell, and currently our more than 100 trucks from two food production plants are using biodiesel as part of our sustainable development.”

“Shell is one of the first to invest in advanced biofuels to explore new sustainable fuels that contribute to the energy mix of the future,” Yu said. “We are pleased that Maxim’s Group believes in the value of sustainable fuel as we do and partnered with us to tackle the energy challenges together. We will continue to work with companies, customers and society through different projects to make Hong Kong more sustainable.”

Shell Group has been dedicated to energy transition globally. In 2017, Shell Group announced its ambition to cut the net carbon footprint of its energy products in half by 2050 in step with society’s goals of the Paris Agreement. This industry-leading aspiration will evolve with the changes in society and the energy system. Shell will step up its existing activities to meet this ambition, like bringing more biofuels, hydrogen and electric vehicle charging into the mix as one of the world’s largest blenders and distributors of biofuels across the globe.

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with an average of 86,000 employees in more than 70 countries. With more than 100 years of history locally, Shell supplies Hong Kong and Macau with a wide range of oil products from its technologically advanced Tsing Yi Installation. Its business activities include retail filling and service stations, fuel and lubricants to commercial sectors, bitumen, aviation fuel, marine fuel and lubricants.

Founded in 1956, Maxim’s Caterers Ltd. (a company incorporated in Hong Kong) is a leading food and beverage company comprised of Chinese, Asian and European restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bakery shops, coffee shops, Japanese chain restaurants and institutional catering, while providing a range of festive products, including the award-winning Hong Kong MX Mooncakes. It is also the licensee of renowned brands including Starbucks Coffee, Genki Sushi and IPPUDO Ramen, The Cheesecake Factory and Shake Shack in various territories. Altogether, it has more than 1,300 outlets in Hong Kong and Macau regions, Mainland China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.