Top Steamship Authority officials are enthusiastically backing a plan to start using alternative fuels to operate their vessels, which would cut down on the ferry line’s carbon footprint.
During a joint meeting on Thursday last week, both the Steamship board and Port Council voted unanimously to support the purchase of enough RD99 fuel — a renewable biofuel — to operate the Steamship’s Island Home over the summer season.
“This is a real game-changer for us,” said Chief Operating Officer Mark Amundsen. Amundsen has worked with the Steamship’s fuel provider to nail down a more long-term contract to supply Steamship vessels with the renewable fuel. He said that the alternative could reduce the amount of greenhouse gases the ferry line produces by 50 to 78 percent, if it transitions the fleet over.
The decision comes as the Steamship has faced pressure from the public for not moving quickly enough to move toward electrifying its fleet, and as the Island and the commonwealth of Massachusetts work to be carbon-neutral. While embracing the alternative fuel source, Amundsen said that the region does not currently have the infrastructure to support an electric fleet. The fuel is a good step forward in the meantime, he noted.
RD99, commonly used in California and the West Coast for public transportation, is also known as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). Amundsen said that the fuel is similar to canola, soybean, and sorghum oils. It’s a hydrocarbon-like diesel fuel, and is so similar to diesel that it can be used as a replacement.
Board and Port Council members were excited about the prospect. “This is definitely the way forward,” said Eric Dawicki, Port Council member from Fairhaven. “This stuff works.”
Vineyard board representative Jim Malkin endorsed the proposal, and urged management to be proactive in moving forward.
The cost of the biofuel would be slightly higher than standard diesel. The board, on Thursday, approved a cost of $62,400 for enough fuel for a trial period with the Island Home, from June 1 to Sept 1. In his recommendation memo written to the board, Amundsen said that the approximate cost of the diesel used currently is $2.40 per gallon, versus $2.99 per gallon for the alternative, inclusive of delivery charges. If the trial run works successfully, the board could move to use the fuel for the whole fleet.
Amundsen said that they have vetted RD99 with the Steamship’s engine manufacturers in the fleet, including EMD, Caterpillar, and John Deere, and all have endorsed it. The COO said that the Steamship Authority has also contacted another major U.S. ferry operator that has completed its own trial period. Following a successful trial, the operator is converting all 10 of its ferries to RD99, he noted.
Amudesen said that the fuel, while widely used on the West Coast, has not yet been available on the East Coast. Worried about supply shortages with its rising popularity, Port Council and board members urged Amudsen to work with the Steamship’s contractors to sign a long-term contract in case prices rise.
This would be great for the air quality considering the immense amount of smoke the steamship lets loose during frequent voyages.
A little research about this stuff reveals that it is very close to diesel in its chemical composition and can in fact be mixed with diesel in any proportion. So there are certainly no mechanical issues . It is not “experimental” and has been used for years in various places. It has been mandated by the state of Ca. to be used in all harbor craft since 2022. There are plenty of other things to worry about when it comes to the Steamship. I just hope it smells like French fries or burgers cooking. It is made from animal fat renderings, used fryolator oil and various plant based oils. Good smells coming out of the exhaust might even boost concession sales. But the Times staes “The cost of the biofuel would be slightly higher than standard diesel.” then it explains that diesel is $2.40 and the RD99 is $2.99 that is just about 25% higher. Hardly “slightly higher” .
If the SSA shifted entirely to this product it would raise their expenses by about 1.8 million dollars a year. I’m all for it overall.
How about fuel made from artificial leaves?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/12/floating-factories-artificial-leaves-green-fuel-jets-ships-carbon-dioxide
Hmmm. DK sounds knowledgeable but I would still like to hear more about the $60,000 price tag that WBZ reported in their story yesterday (5/21). $60K as compared to what?
Comments are closed.