Burning Man Ditched Diesel - Time Your Festival Did Too
Every year, tens of thousands of people build a temporary city in the middle of the Nevada desert, power it for a week, and then pack it all away without leaving a trace.
That is Burning Man: a seven-day experiment in art, community and logistics, with around 72,000 participants and a power system that relies heavily on generators. The 2025 Burning Man festival displaced 40% of operational fossil diesel use with renewable diesel, replacing more than 68,000 gallons (or approximately 257,000 litres) of fossil fuel across its Black Rock City site.
Aerial: Burning Man Festival, Nevada Desert (2013). Source: Business Insider (2013)
If a temporary desert city can start changing the way it powers itself, what about Australia’s summer festival circuit?
Local Shows Must Go On
Australian festivals, sporting events and motorsport weekends may look very different from Burning Man, but they share one important feature: much of the action happens away from a permanent power supply.
Stages, lighting, food vendors, broadcast equipment, hospitality areas and temporary facilities all need reliable electricity. Traditionally, that has meant diesel generators running behind the scenes while the audience enjoys the music, racing or fireworks.
The good news is that some Australian events are already changing the fuel behind the spectacle.
Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Victoria
In 2025, approximately 40% of the Albert Park site was powered using HVO renewable diesel. That represented around 70,000 litres of HVO and delivered an estimated 80% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared with standard diesel. It was described as the largest renewable diesel rollout at an Australian major event, with organisers planning to increase HVO coverage over time and work towards powering the entire site with renewable diesel.
That is a significant achievement for an event where there is very little room for error. F1 engines may get the headlines, but the temporary infrastructure around the circuit also has to perform flawlessly.
WOMADelaide introduced HVO in 2026 to power its largest stage, the Foundation Stage. Combined with B100 biodiesel, which the festival has been trialling since 2021, this allowed all stages to run on 100% renewable energy for the first time.
The milestone made WOMADelaide South Australia’s first festival to power all its stages with renewable energy. It is a strong example of how festivals can build sustainability into their operations gradually.
In 2026, White Bay Power Station adopted HVO as supplied by RD2Go to power its event operations. This initiative is part of the NSW Government's and Placemaking NSW's broader push toward net-zero emissions. It is a critical sustainability milestone for the iconic industrial site, which has rapidly transformed into a major creative hub, drawing over 170,000 visitors for headline exhibitions and regularly hosting massive multi-stage music and community festivals.
Other International Events and Festivals Leading By Example
Australian events are part of a much broader international shift:
Formula 1 Silverstone (UK) has used HVO across its major events (the British Grand Prix, MotoGP, and the Silverstone Festival) since 2024, powering generators, catering and media operations and plant vehicles (tractors, forklifts and loaders).
Glastonbury Music Festival (UK) with a capacity of around 200,000 people, introduced HVO in 2019 and in 2023 reached a milestone by running 100% of its generators across the entire 900-acre site on sustainable HVO as part of its broader sustainability program which also included thermal, hybrid and solar power solutions.
Humber Street Sesh Music Festival (UK) which draws up to 30,000 people annually to Hull Marina, made the switch to HVO in 2023 powering stages, bars and lighting.
The Great British Farm Fest (UK) used almost 20,000 litres of HVO across the three-day event in 2026 which was attended by over 60,000 visitors. HVO powered on site generators, tractors and machinery and saved anestimated 51 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions.
SailGP, Europe has used HVO to power its own logistics, switching the trucks moving equipment between its Aarhus, Saint-Tropez and Cádiz legs from diesel to HVO. It's part of the league's broader goal to run its on-water and onshore operations on renewable fuel.
The Net-Zero Squeeze: Why Live Events Must Change
This shift isn't just about good public relations; it’s rapidly becoming a regulatory and financial necessity in Australia. While Scope 1 and 2 emissions are those directly owned or controlled by an event (like on-site fuel burn or purchased electricity), Scope 3 emissions are the indirect consequence of the event's activities, originating from sources it does not own or manage (such as audience travel and external supply chains).
Procuring HVO to power generators, vehicles, and on-site machinery falls squarely under the event's Scope 1 emissions reporting, as it represents a direct reduction in the fossil fuels combusted on-site.
Under the federal government’s mandatory climate-related financial disclosure laws, Australia’s largest companies, including the major banks, telcos, and beverage brands that traditionally sponsor live events and entertainment, are now legally required to report on their GHG footprints. As a sponsored festival or sporting weekend now sits directly within a corporate partner's value chain, what was once a "nice to have" is becoming essential, as event directors engage corporate sponsorship and marketing teams early to align their sustainability practices.
At the same time, local councils and state-owned venues are increasingly tying event and land-use permits to strict, measurable sustainability benchmarks.
To secure both corporate backing and government permits, event organisers must find immediate, scalable ways to decarbonise.
The Switch to HVO is Common Sense
No new equipment. HVO is a drop-in replacement for existing diesel generators, fleets and machinery - no retrofitting, no new fuel infrastructure.
No compromise on reliability. HVO performs the same as diesel under load, which is why zero-downtime events like the F1 have already adopted it.
Immediate, measurable emissions reduction. Swapping fuel type delivers a large, easily quantified emissions cut in a single event season - useful for sponsor and government sustainability reporting.
Satisfy corporate sponsors and strict regulations. Swapping to HVO delivers an immediate, easily quantified lifecycle emissions reduction and zero Scope 1 emissions. This gives event directors the precise, auditable data they need to pass local council permit checks and satisfy the strict climate reporting mandates now faced by major corporate sponsors.
Related RD2Go Articles & HVO Information
→ Renewable Diesel vs Fossil Diesel: What It Means For Emissions In Australia
→ HVO and Carbon: How Renewable Diesel Reduces Emissions Across Every Scope
→ Fossil Diesel, Biodiesel, HVO & SAF: What's the Difference?
Disclaimer
Figures and claims relating to fuel use, emissions reductions, and sustainability outcomes at the events referenced in this article are drawn from publicly available third-party sources, including event organisers, industry publications, and case studies. RD2Go is not affiliated with the events referenced unless noted. Actual results will vary by event and application.