HAL BioFuel Testing

[FlaviaOfTheMonth]

I don't know if this recent news about HAL testing BioFuels has been discussed, but I personally want to thank HAL for doing this test and I want to state that this is the single most important item for me in choosing my next cruise(s). If there is a cruise line using exclusively biofuel, that is the line I will be cruising on. This is something the industry needs to do as soon as possible and I will gladly use my wallet to encourage the transition.

Edited September 20, 2022 by FlaviaOfTheMonth
typo

[VMax1700]

7 hours ago, FlaviaOfTheMonth said:

I don't know if this recent news about HAL testing BioFuels has been discussed, but I personally want to thank HAL for doing this test and I want to state that this is the single most important item for me in choosing my next cruise(s). If there is a cruise line using exclusively biofuel, that is the line I will be cruising on. This is something the industry needs to do as soon as possible and I will gladly use my wallet to encourage the transition.

I have not seen a discussion and it certainly is both interesting and welcome, specially the para about using 100% biofuel.

However, is it a real test?  During the test period (20 days ending on September 7th) did Volendam put to sea or was she still moored in Rotterdam?

[ski ww]

This sounds more like a feel good story. Reading the article, it will be years before this happens fleet wide. But it is a beginning. 

[Mary229]

35 minutes ago, ski ww said:

This sounds more like a feel good story. Reading the article, it will be years before this happens fleet wide. But it is a beginning. 

I agree.  Biofuel is of questionable environmental value and not universally available.  Engineering for efficiency  and energy storage and capture  have much more value.

Edited September 20, 2022 by Mary229

[chengkp75]

One of the big drawbacks is cost.  Last November, when highway diesel was $3.70 a gallon, biodiesel was $5.60.  While the HAL test was done solely at the dock, that does not change much as far as fuel handling or results, compared to sailing, as the number of diesels used at any time is minimized to maximize load on however many are running, so whether it is tested on one diesel at the dock, or 5 diesels at sea makes little difference.  The other problem is infrastructure.  Just like the much touted LNG fuel for the ships, the infrastructure is lagging far behind, and creating the necessary infrastructure is driving up costs, and delaying further implementation.

[whogo]

If nothing else, it may become a cheap way for them to get rid of their used deep fat fryer grease. Added benefit, the exhaust will have the tempting smell of french fries.

[chengkp75]

31 minutes ago, whogo said:

If nothing else, it may become a cheap way for them to get rid of their used deep fat fryer grease. Added benefit, the exhaust will have the tempting smell of french fries.

The NCL ships in Hawaii put their fryer oil ashore in Maui to be converted to biodiesel.  It amounts to about 2 cubic meters (300 gallons) a week.  All the delivery trucks in Maui smell like french fries.

[FlaviaOfTheMonth]

Cost and infrastructure are concerns, but nothing is ever free or easy. Cruising in general is very incongruent in my opinion. We travel to exotic and beautiful locations to enjoy the natural beauty, but our ships are heavy polluters once they leave the port. Like many things in the discussion of climate change, it makes no sense. Cruise lines -- and cruisers like ourselves -- should be leading the charge to lesser-polluting chips. I would like to at least find out the expected cost delta for a change to biofuels. Cruising is very inexpensive as a means of travel, it would not be unreasonable to see a price hike to support this change.

[chengkp75]

Based on some figures I can find, as of yesterday B99 (99% biodiesel) was $1900/ton.  Marine Gas Oil (the light diesel fuel ships burn in regulated areas) is $956/ton, and VLSFO (the low sulfur residual fuel oil they can burn with a scrubber, or outside a regulated area) is $665/ton.  Fuel cost is about 15% of total operating cost across the industry, so fuel costs would rise 200-300% using biodiesel.  So, that would add 15-30% to the ticket cost.  Global biodiesel production in 2022 is projected to be 45,000 metric tons, the US alone produces 229 million metric tons of diesel per year.  Worldwide demand for diesel fuel is 3.5 million metric tons per day.  So, biodiesel represents an almost negligible amount of diesel fuel production.

[fatcat04]

Besides used cooking oil, what organic matter is used to make biodiesel? I looked a bit and could find maybe commercial animal fats (though animal biproducts have many many other uses) but could find no other info on crop biproduct/waste utilized for this fuel. The only other solution would be to actually grow crops like canola, corn, or soybeans and use those to manufacture the fuel. But that again means we have to use land (prepared/planted/harvested with heavy equipment) + fertilizer (made from FF's) + water (processed/pumped using electricity) to get the crops to make into biodiesel. 

Edited September 20, 2022 by fatcat04

[chengkp75]

Yes, most biodiesel "base stock" is not carbon neutral.