Higher efficiency, lower emissions: A stop at a sustainable filling station

A visit to an OMV filling station and five stops that show how sustainable today’s filling stations are. From green electricity that comes from an onsite solar system and powers an automatic car wash through to soft drinks with efficient cooling and Direct Trade coffee in reusable cups.

1st stop: At the fuel pump – or straight to the E-Charger

Many of us have gone electric on the road. And today’s fast chargers really do live up to their name: The process only takes around 20 minutes. And is currently available at 250 charging points on highways and in metropolitan areas. Together with SMATRICS, our partner for green electricity, and Ionity, OMV customers can recharge at one of 450 charging points throughout the whole of Austria. There are 34,000 charging stations in the European partner network. 
But even more is still to come. Because OMV believes electromobility is here to stay for future road travel. That’s why we’re really going all out in terms of electromobility in 2023 – by 2030 there will be over 2,000 charging points at OMV filling stations in Europe on highways and near metropolitan areas. Investment in e-mobility will reach EUR 400 million. 

There is also potential for greater sustainability with fossil fuels: MaxxMotion 100plus is an exceptional fuel in the truest sense of the word. It achieved the highest category in the Worldwide Fuel Charter – this means maximum engine efficiency with minimal emissions. It also holds TÜV certification. And in future the OMV fuel EcoMotion should flow from the pumps at OMV filling stations. With this, you can reduce CO2 by 20%, the remainder is covered by certificates. EcoMotion is already available for the wholesale sector and will be coming to selected OMV filling stations in Austria and Slovakia on a trial basis from 2023.

TIP: In many countries with OMV filling stations, we offer customer loyalty programs with which you can save additional CO2. Take Austria, for example: As a member of the jö Bonus Club, you can collect Ös and use them to travel in a way that is totally climate-neutral. It takes about 20 Ös to offset the CO2 emissions caused by consuming an average tank of 50 liters. In return, OMV subsidizes a certified climate-protection project that saves the equivalent amount of emissions. 

And even if charging at a high-speed charging point goes by really fast, it is still nice to use the time to enjoy a coffee or a snack rather than just standing around. Which takes us to the next stop on our filling station tour. 

2nd stop: Fresh, delicious and local – sustainable strengths in the VIVA Shop

When first stepping into the VIVA Shop, we head towards the drinks. The refrigerated case has now been fitted with doors, saving around 30% of the energy required compared to open beverage refrigeration. The temperature has also been raised just a notch, saving another 6%. 

TIP: Opt for a VIVA Vitamin Water to quench your thirst even more sustainably: Just like all own-brand products in the Car Care range, the bottles are made from recycled PET. 

Even more crucial, however, is the fact that the refrigerators at many stations are already powered by self-produced electricity from solar energy. And many other energy-intensive electrical appliances at OMV filling stations are powered by solar energy too: Like our coffee machines and other equipment in the catering area. This means that the green electricity generated via solar panels on the roof of a filling station can save quite a bit in emissions. How much exactly? In Austria, it corresponds to a saving of over 1,000 metric tons of CO2 every year. 

The switch was made to LED lighting some time ago and the heating systems are also gradually being converted to modern air/heat pumps. 

3rd stop: Gastronomy. Time for a fair pick-me-up along with a regional snack.

Fairtrade coffee is good, Direct Trade coffee is better. Because the beans in our wide variety of specialty coffees – from Espresso to Cappuccino to Latte Macchiato – will be bought directly from the grower in future. And after a VIVA coffee, how about a hearty sandwich with ingredients from the respective country or even the specific region, all from reliable suppliers and producers. This eliminates long transport routes, in turn cutting emissions.

TIP: The most sustainable way to enjoy takeaway coffee is in a reusable cup. The OMV filling stations in Austria are partners of myCoffeeCup. The pollutant-free myCoffeeCups are robust and scratch-resistant and can be used up to 700 times. Simply bring your myCoffeeCup and enjoy VIVA coffee to go with a clear conscience. Once the cup has exceeded its service life, it can be returned to the filling station – and be 100% recycled. 

4th stop: The trash can becomes a recycling plant 

Before we drive the now fully charged car to the car wash, we need to quickly dispose of any trash – and if possible do so in such a way that drinks cans, yesterday’s newspaper and any plastic packaging can be turned into something useful again. In future, the only trash cans at OMV filling stations will be recycling bins: Residual waste, paper and plastic/metal. But of course it is not only customers who need to separate their trash properly. The employees are also doing this behind the scenes: All outer packaging plastic films and cardboard trays, for example from drinks can deliveries, are collected and recycled – after all, plastics are a valuable raw material.

5th stop: Let’s give the car a quick wash.   

How can washing your vehicle be more sustainable? With a car wash powered by energy from green electricity when the sun is shining. And with water recycling systems at the brush washes and cleaning agents that are biodegradable and leave no residues.

TIP: If you want to make an active contribution to washing your car more sustainably, the best time to come to an OMV filling station with solar energy is when the sun is shining – that is when the energy required comes from green electricity.

All these savings measures, large and small, deliver results: An OMV filling station with solar energy consumes 35-40% less energy in 2022 that a filling station from 2002. 

The OMV Strategy states that we want our operations to be completely CO2-neutral by 2050. Meeting sustainability targets is a clear focus for the filling station business and there is huge potential in our international network of around 1,800 filling stations.
Gernot Gollner, HoD Retail AT