The use of alternative fuels is a hot topic in the conversation on sustainability, but making the switch from diesel is not so easy. Many diesel alternatives including biodiesels (known as Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, or FAME) aren't ready to be rolled out en masse to superyachts due to safety concerns, storage limitations, bunkering challenges, lack of availability or because their application requires overhauling the engine room design. So, when a renewable, sustainable and biodegradable fuel source known as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) came onto the scene with a promise to cut carbon emissions by up to 90 percent while also being easy to bunker and use in existing diesel engines, the industry took notice.
Nordic commercial ships are already using HVO successfully, and on land it's being rolled out in freight trucks; in the UK, for example, the postal service has announced plans to switch its fleet to HVO fuel. HVO has been making headlines worldwide, but is it really the miracle that some are proselytizing?
Little disputed is that it has become increasingly important to find a greener fuel alternative in yachting. "In order to mitigate the risks associated with climate-related effects, we must support the transition to a carbon-neutral emissions future," says Ross Wombwell, head of technical services at British Marine, which recently collaborated with the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) on a report titled . The report points out that while recreational boats are a relatively small contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for 0.4 and 0.7 percent of CO emissions emitted by the transport sector in the EU and US respectively, the marine leisure sector is still investigating options to reduce GHG emissions.
