It began with a trial with its Atlantic Huron ship blending diesel and soybean oil in equal parts.
That worked so well it tried straight soybean oil and now powers all 16 of its ships on soybean oil.
The fuel swap reduced carbon emissions at each ship’s smokestack by almost 12 per cent without requiring any modifications to the engine. There were no failures, and repeated mechanical teardowns and inspections showed no excessive wear, reported the Globe and Mail.
“Reducing our environmental footprint has been an objective of the company for many years,” said Louis Martel, chief executive officer of the Montreal-based shipping company.
“It showed that we can operate our fleet with biodiesel as a drop-in fuel, we don’t have to modify any piece of our engine or equipment.”
