National Oceanography Centre trials fossil-free marine fuels
The RRS James Cook. / SOURCE: U.K. National Oceanography Centre
October 4, 2024
BY U.K. National Oceanography Centre
The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is trialing the use of a fossil-free marine diesel to fuel the Royal Research Ships (RRS) James Cook and Discovery.
Use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), made from used vegetable oils and fats and non-food crops, is able to significantly reduce net CO2 vessel emissions, compared to conventional diesel fuel.
The trial is funded by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which owns the two vessels, in support of a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) goal to achieve net zero emission operations by 2040.
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HVO can be used as a “drop-in” replacement in marine engines and because it’s made from already used products and non-food crops, it’s life-cycle CO2 emissions are much lower than fossil fuel.
Kevin Williams, Head of Research Ships Engineering at NOC, says, “As a research organization, NOC is focused on understanding and protecting our ocean. Reducing our own environmental footprint is a key part of that and the carbon emissions from our vessels is a major part of that.”
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During the trial, HVO is replacing the low sulfur marine gas oil (LSMGO) NOC normally uses. HVO is one of the more stable biofuels, which means it’s suitable for the different conditions NOC vessels operate in, from high temperature regions to the Arctic.
However, there are some challenges around its use, such as cost and availability, especially in the remote places NOC operates, says Williams.
The HVO trial is part of wider emissions reduction work at NOC. For the vessels, this includes assessing the use of batteries onboard, to reduce the use of the engines during scientific operations, and a focus on marine operations planning, to reduce transit time and more efficient routing based on weather.
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