Today over 35 years later, ABPE is looking to sustainable fuel and power source technology to take us to net-zero and beyond. But, it has to be practical, workable and acceptable to the operator.
It’s so good to be harmonising passions as a new path opens up for ABPE. The focus now is on the ‘next step’, where sustainable fuel developments can provide the immediate transition phase toward net-zero.
While we can acknowledge electric and ultimately hydrogen fuel-cell power, is on the horizon the reality is ‘low carbon evolution’. The technology has to be taken to the market and accepted. In our sector, I believe the internal combustion engine (ICE) will be with us for decades to come, as sustainable low-carbon fuels compete squarely with electric, in both ‘whole of life’ emissions and ‘real life’ practicalities – but that change needs to start now!
The smaller sea-going, planing hull segment of the marine market embraces commercial, services, military and higher speed cruise and sports applications. Operating range, fueling infrastructure and cost are among the many barriers – but ‘acceptance’ of operational practicalities, is by far the biggest. And while road transport fleet operators, airlines and shipping companies are running their own operational R&D, the small to medium operators will stick with the ‘fossils’ until an alternative becomes easy. We can’t wait that long! The ABPE initiative is here to bridge that gap, do the R&D and take the ‘workable’ technology to the market.
ABPE - Cresting the waves to Net-Zero!