Stephen Weatherley is a man on a mission. As well as being the founder and CEO of Archipelago Expedition Yachts, a British-built range of aluminium motor catamarans, he's also trying to resolve the intractable issue of how to make offshore motor yachts greener. "There are currently five possible green fuels," points out Weatherly, succinctly. "Hydrogen, ammonia, LNG (liquid natural gas), batteries and methanol. Ammonia and hydrogen are difficult to store on board a boat, LNG is a fossil fuel so emissions reductions are limited and batteries don't have the range to power a true offshore vessel. That leaves methanol as the only viable fuel."
POWERED BY METHANOL
He's not alone in coming to that conclusion. The shipping industry is already adopting methanol as the fuel of the future. According to the Norwegian classification body, DNV, there are now 228 methanol dual fuel-powered ships on order, with methanol overtaking LNG as the green fuel of choice for container carriers.
The reason it also makes sense for leisure boats is because methanol is a liquid rather than a gas, meaning it's easier to transport, store and distribute using existing infrastructure. And it can be burnt in conventional combustion engines, either in combination with fossil fuels like petrol and diesel, or on its own, with only minor adaptations. During the 1970s fuel crisis up to 20,000 methanol-fuelled cars were in use on US roads, while in the 1980s and 1990s small amounts of methanol were regularly blended into European petrol supplies.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2024-Ausgabe von Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...