Enhedslisten in Region Nordjylland says a temporary return to ordinary diesel in regional buses is a possibility, after the price of climate-friendlier HVO biodiesel pushed bus operations into a large deficit.
DR reported on August 7, 2026 that the greener diesel used in North Jutland’s buses has become so expensive that Region Nordjylland is facing a deficit running into millions of kroner. The region’s public transport budget is under pressure as a result.
Enhedslisten regional council member Susanne Flydtkjær told DR that going back to ordinary diesel for a period is clearly an option. According to her, the priority is finding the money to secure bus services so people can reach education and work. She added that the region would then have to look for CO2 reductions elsewhere during that period.
Price gap of about nine kroner per liter
The main cause is rising fuel prices, especially for the biodiesel known as HVO, which many of the buses run on. Per DR, prices listed on the website of the fuel company OK show biodiesel is currently around nine kroner more expensive per liter than ordinary fossil diesel.
A switch may not be possible right away. Erik Frederiksen, operations chief at Nordjyllands Trafikselskab, told DR that the current agreements do not legally allow changing to a fuel with a worse environmental impact. Contract terms would therefore have to change before any switch could take place.
Save up to 2,800 DKK on Your Electricity Bill
FindElpriser helps you switch electricity providers quickly and easily.
Frederiksen said the next round of agreements could open other options. As reported by DR, he hopes new products will be on the market by then, possibly allowing electric buses on the very long routes the company operates in the region.
North Jutland is not alone in weighing the cost of biodiesel. DR notes that several places in Denmark have already dropped the fuel because of the high prices, including Midttrafik, the transport company covering Central Jutland. That decision was also driven by cost.
What happens next in the region
No final decision on the fuel has been announced by Region Nordjylland. Flydtkjær described a return to ordinary diesel as temporary and tied to securing funding for services, not as a permanent change of course. The region’s bus network connects towns across North Jutland, where distances between stops are long.
The debate concerns regional bus operations rather than city networks such as Copenhagen public transport. Fuel is one of the largest running costs in regional bus contracts, and the price gap reported by DR applies per liter consumed.
Enhedslisten has long campaigned on climate policy, and DR framed the opening toward diesel as a break with those ideals. Flydtkjær did not set out a timeline for when the region might act.
