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HYDROTREATED VEGETABLE OIL (HVO): A GREENER BOATING FUEL

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil is a safe and stable second generation biofuel produced from vegetable oil feedstocks, often waste oils.

Providing significant environmental and safety benefits, HVO is tested, proved and recommended as a sustainable and viable alternative to traditional mineral diesel for existing recreational seagoing and inland waterways boats with diesel engines.

Key Benefits of HVO

  • Cleaner & Greener – Reduces CO₂ emissions and environmental impact
  • Sustainable – Produced via hydrotreated process by repurposing bio feedstocks
  • Safe – Stable, clean-burning and reduces the risk of diesel bug (unlike first-generation biofuel FAME)
  • Drop-in Replacement – Suitable for use in diesel engines in any concentration up to 100% without engine modifications
  • Compatible – Approved by most marine engine manufacturers as a reliable, high-performance fuel

HVO is an ideal marine fuel , suitable for use as a drop-in replacement in the diesel engines of existing recreational craft at 100% or mixed in any proportion with mineral diesel, without compromising engine performance or maintenance.

HVO is certified by the UK Government as sustainable under its well-established Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) scheme, one of the government’s main policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport. Under the scheme, UK suppliers must demonstrate compliance with the RTFO sustainability criteria, which consist of the following: GHG emissions savings, land, forest and soil.

Various schemes and certifications are in place to ensure that HVO sold in the UK is manufactured from sustainable sources and does not result in environmental damage due to land use change, such as deforestation for palm oil.

Over the last five years, all UK-supplied HVO has been produced from waste, with GHG savings of 83% to 91% according to the Government’s RTFO (Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation) data.

Safe and Approved for Existing Marine Diesel Engines

HVO does not suffer from the drawbacks of first-generation biodiesel (known as Fatty Acid Methyl Ester FAME), such as diesel bug. It can be stored without deterioration for a long time.

HVO is approved by the leading marine diesel engine manufacturers and is fully compatible with modern and traditional boat engines and all diesel-burning appliances onboard.

For boaters who are not yet ready or able to transition to electric drive, HVO offers a practical and immediate solution to reduce their carbon emissions and environmental impact, without modifying their boat’s diesel engines.

If more boaters transition to environmentally-friendly HVO in their existing vessels, the air quality around our coasts, harbours, canal locks and estuaries can be protected and enhanced.

 

 

Decarbonisation of the Recreational Boating Sector

With a mission to make HVO more accessible to all recreational boaters, the Cruising Association (CA), the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), British Marine (BM) and the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) have formed an HVO Joint Working Group.

The objective is to make HVO available and affordable to all recreational craft, both inland and seagoing, as part of a transitional plan to rapidly, cost-effectively and safely decarbonise the UK recreational boating sector.

The alternative options for existing diesel-powered vessels, often with a long life of over 40 years, would be to continue to burn fossil fuels or to replace engines with alternative technologies – resulting in a larger environmental impact.

Recommendations from the Climate Change Committee’s 7th Carbon Budget include a proposed 2050 Balanced Pathway whereby half of the inland waterways and leisure vessel fleet decarbonises by switching to electric drive-technology which is already being deployed today and the other half of the fleet switching to biofuels.

A recent International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) report, Pathways to Propulsion Decarbonisation for the Recreational Marine Industry, found that ‘sustainable liquid marine fuels, such as renewable drop-in fuels, are expected to be the most suitable source of energy to decarbonise recreational boats by 2035 – by as much as 90% – without compromising the distance a boat can travel or its performance’.

Campaigning for Change

The HVO Group is raising awareness about the benefits of HVO for the UK’s recreational boating community to generate demand and stimulate the supply network.

In addition, work continues with the Government’s Department for Transport (DfT) and other parties to change specific Government policies which are currently causing a barrier to the widespread supply and adoption of HVO in the sector.

On this website, the HVO JWG provides a trusted resource for recreational boaters about HVO, as well as updates about the campaign.

FIND OUT MORE

 

 

What is Preventing Boaters from Using HVO?

HVO is tried and tested with proven performance in a wide range of commercial and recreational boats and engines. It has already been adopted by individual recreational boaters around the world, as well as leading maritime operators and associations including the RNLI and boatbuilders.

Scottish Canals, as one of the main tenets of its sustainability policy, now runs all its vehicles (those that are not electric) on HVO, together with its workboats and plant.

However, there is still a need for the compatibility, environmental and safety benefits of HVO to be promoted and communicated to more boaters to create a strong demand and to strengthen the HVO supply network.

Availability and Price

Boat owners face two key barriers which are preventing the widespread adoption of HVO in the recreational boating sector:

  • Limited Availability – HVO is not widely stocked for recreational boats.
  • Unstable Price – Cost and incentives have been variable.

Even though some leisure boaters may be prepared to pay a reasonable premium for HVO, the current cost is too high and too volatile for the market, preventing the establishment of a viable supply chain.

Reasons for this instability include the nature of the market for feedstock and finished product.

The second issue is that the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), the Government scheme which supports renewable fuels, creates a secondary market in the Renewable Fuel Transport Certificates (RTFCs) which encourage fuel producers and suppliers to transition from fossil fuels to biofuels.

Working with Government

There is an inconsistent approach in the current operation of the RTFO scheme whereby inland waterways vessels are eligible to use HVO which is supported by RTFCs, whereas seagoing vessels are excluded.

The HVO JWG is working to persuade the Government that seagoing recreational vessels under 24m should be eligible for the RTFO scheme so that these boats can benefit from using HVO.

FIND OUT MORE

HVO for Inland Waterways Boaters in the UK

The availability of HVO for inland waterways vessels in the UK is limited, though there are some opportunities to buy the fuel through the IWA’s list of current UK stockists and other suppliers.

Unlike seagoing vessels, inland waterways vessels are eligible to use HVO under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), the Government scheme which supports renewable fuels.

This means that HVO supplied to inland vessels for both propulsion and domestic purposes is supported by RTFCs (Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates).

Following pressure from the HVO JWG, all HVO delivered to a leisure craft can now benefit from RTFCs, regardless of whether it is used for propulsion or domestic purposes on the boat.

However, eligibility under the scheme is not always enough to ensure that fuel retailers will stock HVO, so the number of marinas on inland waterways selling HVO is limited.

Take Action

To increase demand, inland boaters are urged to use HVO whenever it is available or to tell their marina or fuel supplier they would buy HVO if it was available.

FIND OUT MORE

HVO for Seagoing Boaters in the UK

HVO is not currently available for seagoing recreational vessels through coastal suppliers and marinas in the UK.

Seagoing diesel-powered recreational vessels (under 24m) are currently excluded from using HVO under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), the Government scheme which supports renewable fuels.

Seagoing recreational vessels are not eligible to use renewable fuels of a biological origin as they are in the same category as large international shipping under the RTFO, a sector which is expected to adopt alternative fuels like hydrogen and ammonia.

This Government policy has led to administrative complexities for fuel retailers selling HVO to seagoing recreational vessels and a lack of availability of HVO for the coastal market.

Take Action

To help resolve the issue, seagoing boaters are urged to engage with their MP to request the UK Government removes the barriers in the RTFO scheme.

Earlier this year, the CA and all of the members of the HVO JWG completed detailed submissions in the UK Government’s ‘Call for Evidence’ in the review of its RTFO. The submissions highlighted measures which would achieve a lower and more stable price for more boaters and increase availability by reducing the administrative complexities for fuel retailers selling HVO to seagoing recreational vessel owners.

FIND OUT MORE

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Keep Informed: Social media links (CA, IWA, RYA, BM platforms)

 

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