Volvo Penta joins marine industry in championing sustainable fuels at American Boating Congress

Volvo Penta will participate in a sustainable marine fuel demonstration at the American Boating Congress © Volvo Penta

Volvo Penta is teaming up with the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) to demonstrate the power of renewable fuels in marine vessels at the American Boating Congress (ABC) in Washington D.C.

Volvo Penta will feature a boat using renewable diesel, or HV0100 (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), a renewable, paraffinic fuel made from vegetable or animal sources that is free from fossil fuels and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%. The event takes place May 9, 2023, and follows a successful demo earlier in the year at Miami International Boat Show 2023.

"There is no one size fits all approach to minimizing carbon emissions in the recreational marine industry. The future will require a mix of technologies such as electrification, hybrid-electric, advanced hull design and efficiency improvements, as well as sustainability initiatives," said Jeff Wasil, director of environment, health, safety and compliance for NMMA. "Sustainable fuels like the ones we'll be demonstrating at ABC are drop-in, ready solutions that boaters can use now to reduce their environmental footprint, while still maintaining the range and performance they expect."

"Developing a sustainable boating experience for our customers has always been at our core and serves as a key driver in all that we do," said Fredrik Högberg, president of Volvo Penta North America. "We share the same passion as the NMMA in supporting the advancement, innovation and availability of sustainable marine fuels, with the aim of further facilitating emission reduction now and well into the future."

"Our continued collaborations with the NMMA allow us to test and learn together, in front of stakeholders across the entire marine ecosystem, in order to find an ideal solution for what's on the horizon in the industry," Högberg added.

The demo will take place on the newest version of the Southport 30 FE, which was unveiled at the Miami International Boat Show 2023. The vessel now offers a fully integrated propulsion system with D6 440 Aquamatic DPI inboards, a feature that allows boaters to travel further and more efficiently, with an impressive range of nearly 400 miles. The upcoming demo will help to demonstrate that a switch to renewable diesel is simple and has no impact on power or range. The MY Renewable Diesel being used as part of the demo is provided by Neste.

The American Boating Congress is taking place in Washington D.C. from May 8-10. The sustainable marine fuels presentation and demonstration will take place on Tuesday, May 9 at 3:30 p.m. at the Wharf Marina: 650 Wharf St SW in Washington, D.C.