Volkswagen Group Logistics has switched the first of two chartered car carriers from burning heavy fuel to biofuel. The fuel is supplied by Netherlands-based GoodFuels and is produced primarily from used oil from restaurants and the food industry.
The car carrier Patara, owned by Depth RoRo, was refueled for the first time with 100% GoodFuels’ biofuel in mid-November 2020 and a second ship is due to follow at the beginning of 2021.
“We are the first automaker to make widespread use of this fuel. This way, we reuse waste oil in an environmentally compatible way. With 85% lower CO2 emissions than with conventional fossil fuels, the contribution to climate protection is enormous,” says Thomas Zernechel, Head of Volkswagen Group Logistics.
The two chartered car carriers trade between European ports and carry about 250,000 new vehicles of the Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Volkswagen passenger cars, and Volkswagen commercial vehicle brands every year.
Marine Log reports that the two ships, which are both 180 meters long, are each powered by an MAN marine diesel engine developing more than 19,000 hp (14,220 kW). In the future, the two ships are to be refueled at sea off the coast of Vlissingen (Netherlands) with alternative fuel supplied by the Dutch company GoodFuels. This way, the CO2 emissions of the two conventional vessels along their route will be reduced by more than 85% – from over 60,000 to about 9,000 tonnes per year. In addition, sulfur oxide emissions will be almost completely avoided. In addition to dramatically reducing the ship’s carbon footprint, the biofuel cuts sulfur pollution to zero.
Volkswagen Powers Transport Ships With Biodiesel From GoodFuels
If they keep the oil warm enough it shouldnt cake up. The problem with burning bio fuel is that the engine would need to stay running. Otherwise the engine must switch back to diesel or the injectors will “cake up”.
Caking is a matter of the injectors going cold. Soot deposits form and render injetors inoperable. Hence why bio fuel hasnt really taken off in America. It is ok to use where its warm like Texas*. Yet bio fuel has its limits in places like the north.
Note the reason Texas is refferred is that is where Willie Nelson has a fuel supplier selling bio fuel at the pumps.
I know of a bunch of people who run their diesel cars on filtered old frying oil and, if it is on offer in the supermarket and cheaper than fuel at the pumps, fresh cooking oil. The only criterion is that cars need to have a Bosch fuel pump.
Pump prices are much higher here than in the US.
I have never owned a diesel car but did have one that had a supplementary LPG tank.