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This document provides a non-technical summary of fuel consumption tests on red diesel fuel additives, and comparison of these results with those from identical tests using red diesel alone. The test cycle used simulated a trawler operating a 20 hour 40 minute excursion from Newlyn and within this involved 3, 4 hour long trawl stages. This test cycle was established after discussion with local skippers from the Newlyn fleet and SeaFISH representatives. The tests were conducted at the Camborne School of Mines engine dynamometer test facility installed in the Holman’s Test Mine in Cornwall.

As part of an integrated research programme looking at improving fuel efficiency for fishing vessels Seafish has tested eight diesel fuel additives for red diesel to assess manufacturer’s claims that their use leads to a reduction in fuel consumption. The results of the work indicate that there were no discernible improvements in fuel economy when using diesel fuel additives under test cell conditions. Only one additive showed a saving of around 1%. The other seven additives showed no significant effect on the fuel consumption of the test engine through the test cycle used. If the results from the tests are typical of real duty cycles, then the use of additives would increase operating costs for fisherman as they would have to pay for the additive as well as for the fuel.

On 6th March 2008 representatives from SeaFISH and the University of Exeter met to discuss testing of fuel economy enhancement technologies at the CSM dynamometer test cell facility. These discussions resulted in an order for testing of various technologies to determine their effectiveness. The proposed technologies were varied in nature, ranging from the use of permanent and electromagnets installed on fuel lines to performance exhaust systems and engine lubricant conditioners. For each of these technologies, engine performance and fuel consumption tests were undertaken once without the technology deployed, then once with the technology installed. The results from the two tests were compared.

This document provides a non-technical summary of sea trials in a ~10 m class potting vessel running comparative fuel consumption tests using red (fossil) diesel and biodiesel. The vessel, FV Ma Gandole, is powered by a 20 year old Volvo MD70B 6 cylinder, normally aspirated, 120 hp diesel engine coupled to a 3:1 reduction gearbox, assumed to be fairly typical of many power plant of the Newlyn ~10 m class fleet. The sea trials demonstrated that both fuels started the engine equally well, and the vessel was felt to handle and perform equally well with either fuel.

This report details work carried out to investigate the performance of biofuels in marine diesel engines, relative to the use of fossil petrodiesel. The scope of work ultimately included: 1) The installation of a dynamometer test facility, equipped to run diagnostic and simulated operational duty cycles on marine diesel engines.

This report details work carried out on the design and installation of an engine performance test facility located at the Holman’s Test Mine, operated by the Camborne School of Mines (CSM), an academic department of the University of Exeter. The work was commissioned by the Sea Fish Industry Authority (SeaFISH) with the aim of developing a facility to permit the testing of biofuels such as biodiesel and biofuel blends in marine diesel engines. Engine performance test cells of this nature are generally configured to test various engines, whereas for this project, the engine needed to be a constant with the fuel being the variable.

Since 2004 the price of diesel fuel oil has increased significantly, causing many fishing vessels to become unprofitable. At the same time biofuels has increased in prominence as a long-term replacement for non renewable fossil fuels. This report details a research and development project to investigate the potential of biofuels for the fishing industry, which took place between October 05 and Jan 08. In the project two types of fuel are studied, biodiesel and pure plant oil. Over the course of the study both fuels were tested on land and at sea and proved to be technically successful. The main driver for uptake of the alternative technology in the fishing industry is economic and our study found that in most cases fossil fuels will remain more cost effective for fishing business in the short to medium term. That said there may be some opportunities in more remote communities where used vegetable oil is available and the cost of transporting diesel oil into the area push the price above that of locally produced biofuels. In terms of environmental credentials biofuels are generally sustainable but there are a number of issues which perspective purchasers need to consider which may overall green credentials of their biofuel.

The use of pure plant oil (PPO), also known as vegetable oil, as a diesel fuelextender or as a total fuel substitute is known. The concept gained popularity during the fuel crisis in the 1970’s although engine technology at this time was relatively basic. The concept today has two primary drivers for land transportation: cost reduction and environmental footprint. The use of recovered and suitably processed used cooking oil (UCO) can offer further substantial atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation together with a reduction in other regulated exhaust pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide, as well as additional cost savings compared to virgin PPO,.Regenatec has developed technology which retro-fits to diesel engines and allows them to be fuelled by diesel or PPO or UCO. This technology is found in products being sold to owners of land based vehicles, both commercial and domestic. Initial trial work performed by Regenatec on land based vehicles has shown promising results. This project investigated the use of PPO in a trawler, the Jubilee Quest, based in Grimsby, UK, operated on PPO during the Autumn of 2006. The aim of this trial was a technical investigation of the technology and PPO: it was not designed to be a commercial deployment. The use of PPO (and even UCO) is currently commercial unviable in UK marine applications due to the economies of scale enjoyed by the petrochemical industry. (The use of PPO and UCO is only viable for land based vehicles because of a duty rebate currently enjoyed by bio-fuels.) As biofuels start to scale and when the environmental costs of fossil fuels are fully reflected in the cost of the product, it is anticipated that biofuels will become economically viable. As a key part of this project, Regenatec developed their technology into a system to be used at sea by a trawler. Their dual tank system is under electronic control to automate the use of PPO in a diesel engine. This has significant advantages over existing, less sophisticated technology. The engine is started on conventional marine diesel (or biodiesel) and then automatically switches over to the lower cost, more environmentally friendly PPO. The automation greatly improves the ease of use for unskilled operators and removes the potential for engine damage when compared to manual control. Additionally, Regenatec is heavily involved in fuel additive work investigating what fuel additives commonly used to enhance the technical and environmental performance of mineral diesel are applicable to PPO and UCO. This work is being undertaken under Confidentiality Agreement in conjunction with a leading mainstream additive manufacturer. An ‘additive pack’ was not fully developed and therefore not available for field deployment during this project. However, lab work and land based field trials in this area have provided encouraging feedback.

This paper describes the measures that have been taken and the plans for the near future to keep the beam trawl fishery profitable in the short to medium term.

This report details work carried out in assembly of a prototype containerised batch production plant that is portable and suited to deployment quayside to support fishermen that wish to selfmanufacture biodiesel. The biodiesel batch plant has a maximum production capacity of approximately 210,000 litres per annum when working one shift and approximately 420,000 litres per annum with 24 hour working.

The report provides an assessment of the potential for open ocean, offshore finfish aquaculture in UK waters using candidate species which would have similar growth and performance characteristics to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)and with due reference to other potential species candidates.