Falmouth Harbour in UK launches HVO marine fuel for lower-carbon boating

Photo: Falmouth Harbour

After a successful year of testing hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, on its fleet of workboats, Falmouth Harbour announced Aug. 25 that it has become one of the first U.K. coastal harbors to extend sale of the fuel to leisure and commercial boat owners—introducing a renewable alternative to conventional marine diesel.

HVO is now available from the harbor’s fuel berth at the boat park and watersports center, a £50,000 (USD$68,224), 6,500-liter (1,717-gallon) refueling facility created with 50 percent match-funding from Cornwall Council’s Growth Hub Grants Program.

The investment was supported by the government’s Low Carbon Levelling Up Fund, which is helping accelerate practical decarbonization across the maritime sector.

HVO fuel can reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent to 90 percent when compared with fossil-fuel diesel and can be used by boat owners whose engines are approved to the EN 15940 standard and who have checked with their manufacturer.

Tristan Rowe, Falmouth Harbour’s commercial operations manager, is already using the fuel on his own boat, a Crabber 24 Mk I with a Beta 14 engine.

“If you have a compatible boat and want to be greener, it’s a no brainer to switch to HVO as it’s such a similar product,” he said. “Also if you have been affected by a fuel-bug issue at sea, HVO will give great piece of mind—that was a big factor in my choice to convert. As one of the first U.K. coastal harbors to retail HVO, we’re helping establish the market for lower-carbon marine fuels, which gives customers a practical choice to reduce their environmental impact at a considered and reasonable cost.”

HVO is a renewable paraffinic diesel fuel manufactured from sustainable waste-derived feedstocks.

For compatible diesel engines approved for its use, it can significantly reduce lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions compared with fossil diesel while offering such benefits as cleaner combustion, improved storage stability, reduced risk of microbial contamination and lower diesel odor.

“Harbors have a vital role to play in supporting the transition to lower-carbon maritime operations,” said Miles Carden, Falmouth Harbour’s chief executive. “Whilst there is no single solution to decarbonization, HVO provides a practical option for many existing vessels to reduce their environmental impact without major modifications or replacing engines. This investment, made possible through the government’s Low Carbon Levelling Up Fund, shows how relatively modest public funding can unlock practical improvements that benefit boat owners, commercial operators and the wider environment.”

The new fuel has been tested across the Falmouth Harbour work fleet including the new £1.6 million (USD$2.18 million) state-of-the-art Pilot Boat Atlantic, designed and built by Holyhead Marine in North Wales to be one of the cleanest, safest, most fuel-efficient pilot boats in the U.K.

Falmouth Harbour’s HVO suppliers, Mitchell & Webber, confirm the premium, renewable HVO fuel has a chemical structure almost identical to regular diesel, which it can replace in many marine engines.

“We are delighted to work with Falmouth Harbour to improve access to renewable marine fuels in Cornwall,” said Tristan Weedon, the director of Mitchell & Webber. “HVO is a proven renewable diesel that enables vessels to reduce their lifecycle-carbon footprint immediately while continuing to operate efficiently and reliably. We hope this marks another important step in supporting the maritime sector’s transition to lower-carbon operations using existing infrastructure.”