ICOMIA’s report on the best way to reduce the carbon footprint of leisure boats makes interesting reading (see p18). It’s a well researched and well meaning attempt to map out the best path for the boat industry to follow as it moves towards a lower-carbon future. Its principal finding, that there is no easy one-size-fits-all approach, makes perfect sense given the diversity of craft in the sector and the wide variation in how, and particularly how often, they are used. But I’m a little concerned that the take-away message most readers and boat yards will latch on to is that sustainable drop-in fuels, like HVO, are the quickest and easiest way to reduce the carbon footprint of most boats.
I’ve no doubt that’s true, but as the main feedstock for processing HVO is recycled cooking oil or cultivated vegetable oil, there is only so much that can be produced before we have to start diverting land or crops from feeding mouths to fuelling engines.
The beauty of hydrogen as a fuel is that our boats already float on a vast reserve of it (H20), it can be harvested using clean electricity (wind or solar) and it can either be burned in a combustion engine or converted back into electricity by a fuel cell while emitting nothing but water. There are still plenty of hurdles to clear over how to store and distribute it safely but I hope that ICOMIA’s report doesn’t deter boat yards or customers from exploring other solutions. HVO is a big step in the right direction but don’t mistake it for the destinat
