Sustainable boating: Crick and beyond
THE Inland Waterways Association’s presence at Virtual Crick (held over the extended weekend March 24-28) was defined by its Sustainable Boating input: a far-sighted and far-ranging vision of navigating the inland waterways into a carbon zero future – waterways.org.uk/greenboating
IWA’s Vision Document charts the steps along the road to zero carbon boating, from fuelling existing diesel engines with an alternative, almost carbon neutral fuel, through to electrically propelled craft powered by batteries charged via a hydrogen fuel cell.
With something like 80,000 diesel-powered boats on the inland waterways alone, there is every chance that fossil fuel propulsion will dominate for several decades to come unless a suitable, drop-in alternative is readily available.
IWA has identified hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as best able to fulfil this role: a secondgeneration biofuel, superior in several ways to mineral diesel, more than 90% carbon neutral and without any of the problems associated with its first-generation cousin – biodiesel – which is becoming an increasingly large component of the fuel boaters are currently obliged to fill up with.
Already fuelling many of the tugs and workboats operating on the tidal River Thames, HVO is about to become available on the canals of London when the first fuel boat to stock HVO – nb Barnet – recommences trading in May, following an extensive refit. The London Waterbus Company is expected to be among her first customers. Contact Stonebridge Lock Boatyard (07970 704532; www.stonebridgelock.co.uk) for further information.
In tandem with the Commercial Boat Owners Association and the Royal Yachting Association, IWA is now campaigning for price parity between mineral diesel and HVO, while promoting the wider uptake of the fuel across the inland waterways system.
Features in future editions of Towpath Talk will also travel this route, mapping the path that IWA has identified as the route to carbon zero boating, stopping off at key stages along the way.