Marine Biodiesel Use in the Puget Sound
Transcript of Marine Biodiesel Use in the Puget Sound
We represent
NW biodiesel and ethanol businesses
Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington
www.nwbiofuels.org
• Overview
• Experiences
• Vessels
• Fuel docks
• Challenges
• Opportunities
• Resources
Marine Biodiesel Use in the Puget Sound
Overview – Why are Marine Vessels Using Biodiesel?
– Corporate “green” values– Government commitment to
air quality– Market differentiation– Improved emissions/reduced
exhaust– Concerns with water
quality/marine life– Superior fuel/engine
performance
Overview – Use and BlendsRecreational
Over 200 B99 boaters in San Francisco Bay
Smaller Commercial VesselsWhale watchingCharter boatsGovernment
Research vesselsSpill clean-up vessels
BlendsB5, B20, B99
Marine Biodiesel Use in the Puget Sound
• Vessels– North Shore Charters– Whale watching– Guemes Ferry
• Fuel Docks– Shilshole – Elliott Bay– Deer Harbor– Friday Harbor
North Shore Charters/Mead Biofuels
• Brought biodiesel to San Juan Island 6-7 years ago
• Running B99 for 2 years• GM Optimizer, 6.5 Turbo
Diesel• No operational issues• Adding new boat
– Twin Cummins QSD 4.2– 320 horsepower– Will run on B99
Mead Biofuels customer• Volvo Penta 250 horsepower• Running 4 years on B99• No operational issues
Whale Watching – San Juans• Western Prince Whale & Wildlife Tours
– First whale watching vessel on San Juan to use biodiesel– Uses B20
• Mix of Volvo, Cummins, and John Deere engines
• Mix of B20 and B5– Deer Harbor Charters– San Juan Excursions
• Integral part of market branding
Guemes Island Ferry
• 124’ long, 91 gross tons, 100 passengers
• 2, 2005 Cummins KTA 19M3, turbo charged diesel engines
• Two sets of fuel filters – 20 micron Racor – Fleet Guard
• Cleaned fuel tanks and lines before switching
Guemes Island Ferry• Biodiesel supplied by Whole
Energy
• 2 fuel tanks per engine, 1500 gallons each (no on-site fuel storage)
• 2200 gallons delivered at a time
• Raise blend level every 6 weeks– B5– B10– B15– B20 (Nov. 12th)
Guemes Island Ferry• Motivation
– Exhaust problem (when went from 2 stroke to 4 stroke engine)
– “Crew choked out”– Soot complaints from
Anacortes marina– Passenger
interest/familiarity
• Hope to be a model for others
Shilshole Bay Marina•New dispenser pump, in-ground storage
•Filter to 10 microns
•Mix of recreational, government vessels
•Decrease in fuel sales across the board due to high prices
Elliott Bay Marina• Selling B99 for 5
years• Sales peaked in 2006
(2500 gallons)• Above-ground storage
(250 gallon tank)• Only sells in the
summer• Boaters self-blend• Not profitable, offer as
service• Deterrents
– Price– Warranty– Parts compatibility
Deer Harbor Marina• Only one diesel tank, one diesel pump
• Currently offers B99 to whale watching boats– 55 gallon drum with hand crank pump– Reluctant to offer to recreational boaters
• Offered B99 in 2002-2003, then B20 for 2 years• Stopped 6 months ago• Warranty concerns (especially Volvo)• Concerns with compatibility, filters• Misperceptions with sustainability• Lack of education
• Limited land, can’t add another tank
Friday Harbor Marina
• Only sell B99 to commercial accounts (2 whale watchers)– B99 in 55 gallon drums, pumped
into re-usable 5 gallon buckets– Self-mixed into B10-B20– Not profitable but provided as
service, “do the right thing”– Described as “pain in the butt”
• Recently stopped selling B20, low sales due to lack of education & price
Challenges to Marine Use in the Puget Sound
• Price• Lack of education
– Warranty concerns– Technical misperceptions– Sustainability
• Lack of support – dealers, OEMs• Lack of availability• Limited space at fuel docks• Current lack of profitability for fuel docks
• “Recommended/approved” vs. engine warranty coverage
• Manufacturer warranties do not cover fuel
• Only cover workmanship and materials
• If an engine experiences a failure unrelated to the biodiesel use, it must be covered by the warranty. U.S. federal law prohibits the voiding of a warranty because biodiesel was used – it has to be the cause of the failure.
• Volvo and Yanmar – B5
• Cummins and John Deere – supportive as long as meets ASTM spec
• Wide variation with dealerships
(Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act)
Marine Engine Warranties
EPA Dive Boat• Want to use biodiesel, no
local fill station
• Local Pacific Pride (B20) can’t take GSA card
• Volvo threatened to withdraw warranty if used more than 5%, worried about self-blending
• Looked at fuel delivery options, but concerns with fuel spill risk
Opportunities/Lessons Learned
• Education– Original Engine Manufacturers– Individual dealerships– Fuel dock personnel– Boating community
• Importance of experienced biodiesel supplier
• Continue with quality assurance programs
Resources• Nikola Davidson
• NW Biofuels Association (station locator and downloadable PDF on marine biodiesel)www.nwbiofuels.org
• Whole Energywww.whole-energy.com
• National Biodiesel Boardwww.biodiesel.org