Finnish Research Vessel to Run on Bio-Oil

Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) will start using bio-oil made from food industry by-products to power its marine research vessel the Aranda.

SYKE aims to reduce the vessel’s carbon load by fuelling it with domestic bio-oil made from used vegetable oils and fish guts.

Earlier this year, the vessel already switched over to bio-oil for heating.

“For the next step of the trial, we will start burning a mix of mineral-based marine diesel and bio-oil in the vessel’s main engines during upcoming trips, looking to find the optimal ratio for efficient and economical engine operation with the highest possible proportion of bio-oil,” said HRD Manager Juha Flinkman from SYKE’s Marine Research Centre. 

”The waste-based bio-oil used on the ship is made in a manufacturing plant in Uusikaupunki operated by the shipping company VG-Shipping. The higher the proportion of bio-oil in the fuel, the lower the ship’s carbon load.” 

Last year, the Aranda also received a considerable grant for an overhaul of the entire ship, the purpose of which is to ensure that she can take care of her duties until the end of her life cycle in the 2030s.

The current fuel upgrade and subsequent upgrades to be carried out in 2015–2018 are projected to turn the Aranda into one of the most environmentally friendly ships operating in the Baltic and Arctic seas.