AURORA Expeditions has shared further insights into its successful biofuel trial aboard the Sylvia Earle earlier this year.
Speaking during the Douglas Mawson shakedown (CW 27 Nov), Sustainability Manager Sasha Buch revealed that Aurora was able to operate the vessel on a new renewable fuel – hydrotreated vegetable oil.
She explained, “It’s essentially a waste product converted into marine fuel”.
The trial, conducted along the Spanish coastline over a few days “achieved approximately 90% reduction in fuel-related emissions”, according to Buch.
While the results were highly encouraging, she noted that challenges remain before broader adoption is feasible.
“It’s expensive, and even though it’s made from waste, it’s still a finite resource and not yet available at the scale the industry needs,” she said.
Aurora plans to conduct additional trials when Sylvia Earle returns to Europe next year. MV