Viking Yachts showcases renewable diesel in Atlantic City sea trial

Viking 48C powered by twin Scania V8 1,150-horsepower engines. (Photo: Scania)

Scania, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of engines, announced June 10 the successful demonstration of the performance and viability of renewable marine diesel fuel in a Viking 48 Convertible powered by twin Scania 1,150-horsepower DI16-liter V8 engines during a media event at the Farley Marina at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The vessel, Mack Attack, launched last June, was commissioned by Mack Boring & Parts Co.—the U.S. distributor of Scania marine diesel engines—to demonstrate the reliability and performance of Scania’s most powerful pleasure craft-certified V8 engines.

Photo: Scania

During the trials, the twin Scania engines ran on 99 percent renewable diesel (RD99)—a clean-burning fuel made from 99 percent renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil.

Chemically similar to traditional petroleum diesel, RD99 offers a drop-in replacement, without the need for any engine or systems modifications and can reduce lifecycle greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by as much as 90 percent, depending on feedstock and production methods.

All Scania marine engines can operate on RD99.

“Sustainability continues to remain at the core of Scania’s business strategy as part of our response to the global climate crisis,” said Jorg Franzke, the president of Scania USA. “While renewable fuel has been a proven solution for our marine engines since 2011, this demonstration marks the next step in showing the world the incredible results of the combination of RD99 fuel and Scania powerplants. We’re grateful to the shared commitment to next-generation, sustainable solutions on the water from our partners at Viking for the opportunity to bring boating further into the future.”

During the event, Mack Boring CEO Patrick McGovern and John DePersenaire, Viking’s director of government affairs and sustainability, gave a joint presentation to members of the media, followed by a Q&A session and sea trial aboard the boat.

“The performance of the Scania V8 engines on RD99 was seamless,” McGovern said. “This demonstration confirms that renewable diesel is not just a theoretical solution, it’s a practical one. We’re proud to work with Viking on initiatives that drive real environmental progress in the marine sector.”

Pat Healey, Viking’s president and CEO, added, “Viking has long supported renewable diesel as the leading solution to reduce emissions in recreational boating. The industry is reaching the same conclusion, supported by independent research and real-world testing like this.”