Biofuel cruise trials

The technology group partnered with Carnival Corporation’s Holland America Line and GoodFuels to conduct trials of a Wärtsilä ZA40 engine running either 100% biofuel or a blend with 70% diesel on board the cruise ship, Volendam.

Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line, called the results ‘encouraging’ whilst Ricardo Opperman, director strategic account management and managing director of Wärtsilä North America, said the 100% biofuel trials were ‘especially important’ for the industry as a whole.

“Our extensive work in testing alternative marine fuels is a central part of our efforts to shape viable decarbonisation options for our customers,” said Mr Opperman.

“We are continuously developing our engine technology to accept and retain operational and environmental efficiency levels with various future fuels, including biofuels.”

Wärtsilä’s scope included preparation of the testing protocols, evaluation of the fuel testing and lube oil testing results, supervision of the tests, and post-testing analyses, including engine inspections, performance evaluation, and measurements of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

In addition to cutting carbon emissions by 80-90%, the sustainable biofuels that GoodFuels supplied for this trial allow for sustainable scaling of biofuel uptake. The fuels used are derived from feedstocks that are certified as 100% waste or residue, with no land-use issues and no competition with food production or deforestation.