Guernsey Ports has switched the marina facilities from kerosene to hydrotreated vegetable oil, a renewable biofuel made mostly from used cooking oil from the food industry. The fuel heats both the building and the hot water for the showers.
HVO cuts carbon emissions by about 90% compared with fossil fuels. It is also odourless and produces less carbon monoxide, particulates and nitrogen oxides, which should improve air quality around the pier.
‘The switch to HVO this season is a clear step towards lowering emissions across our marina operations and showing our visiting customers that we are serious about improving our environmental credentials,’ said head of port operations Kieran Higgs.
Fuel supplier Rubis converted the three boilers that serve the visitor facilities. The company said renewable heating oil was a simple, cost-effective way to cut emissions using existing heating systems.
About half of Guernsey Ports’ direct carbon emissions across the harbour and airport come from fossil fuels used for heating, back-up generation and fleet vehicles.
‘The conversion of these facilities to HVO is an important step in our journey to becoming a greener organisation,’ said Lisa Duggan, the ports’ head of sustainability and CSR.
She said the ports were developing a sustainability strategy and planning further measures to reduce their environmental impact.
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