A fleet of Canadian cruise ships has shown biodiesel in blends up to B100 can be used successfully in a tourist intensive marine environment. Final results for the BioMer project were released May 16.

Environment Canada's Pierre Sylvestre told Biodiesel Magazine the project demonstration was successful. He said the only problem encountered was a few ships suffering from plugged fuel filters.

A dozen boats, from a 210-foot passenger ship to several 22-foot powerboats, began testing biodiesel ranging from B5 to B100 blends on the St. Lawrence River and the Lachine Canal in late June 2004. The homeports for the boats were the Old Port of Montreal and the Lachine Canal National Historic Site, both intensive tourist areas.

Rothsay produced the 116,875 liters (30,875 gallons) of waste vegetable oil-based biodiesel for the project. The Canadian and Quebec governments helped finance the project, which was held between June and October 2004.

The project measured emissions, marine engine performance and the effect of biodiesel on river ecology. Results were positive. The final report details a reduction in overall emissions and improved engine performance in B20 blends. The report does suggest using B20 before transitioning to B100 and thoroughly cleaning onboard and dockside fuel tanks prior to using biodiesel.
The BioMer project was seen as the logical step following the successful Biobus project launched in 2002 to test the use of biodiesel as a fuel for mass transit.

More information, including the final report, can be found at www.biomer.ca.