Review

HVO ready and future-proofed

Navien’s LCB700 Blue Flame boilers are all compatible with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), in line with the Government’s decarbonisation targets.

Navien boiler HVO ready

As the UK looks towards achieving net zero, utilising HVO will contribute towards reducing carbon emissions and lead the way towards lowering NOx levels.

HVO is a fossil free fuel, sustainably produced, renewable paraffin that comes from used cooking oil and vegetable oil processing waste. It makes an excellent replacement for heating oil (such as kerosene), requiring relatively simple and inexpensive changes to heating systems – while it can cut emissions by 88%.

Navien’s LCB700 Blue Flame boilers can be easily modified to burn HVO simply by installing different nozzles. This will have no impact on the performance of the boilers, as HVO can provide CO2 savings of 88%, as well as reduce NOx emissions – making the LCB700 the only domestic oil boiler capable of achieving an ErP A+ energy rating.

Assessing the benefits of HVO, Sean Keleher, Navien’s national technical manager said: “With a lot of people – especially those in rural areas – still reliant on oil-fired boilers, it’s vital for manufacturers and industry groups to join together and embrace HVO as a more environmental fuel. HVO is safer to handle due to its lower flashpoint, plus it’s biodegradable.

Converting to HVO is a simple process

“Converting properties from using heating oil to HVO is a simple process – and considerably cheaper in comparison to how much it costs to install a brand new, low carbon heating system. For off-gas homes in particular, renewable technologies like heat pumps wouldn’t be an effective or ideal alternative. Given these benefits, HVO should be an attractive, futureproof proposition for the industry (and government) to get on board with.”

Fully HVO-ready and available as either a regular, system or combi boiler, in both internal and external models, Navien’s LCB700 range is lightweight (with lift weights from only 67kg), easy to handle and optimised for simple, fast and cost-effective installation.

Each boiler also benefits from a full text-driven, smart control panel; this adds aesthetic appeal, while being simple to program and use. This is supplemented by a built-in ‘Intelligent Mode’ – a self-learning function that monitors DHW usage, ensuring there is always ample hot water available for an end user’s daily routine.

Finally, when combined with Navien’s Smart Plus controls, all LCB700 Blue Flame oil boilers offer unrivalled levels of usability, end user comfort and sustainability – while raising a heating system’s effectiveness and efficiency to ErP A+.