Ohio’s Miller Boat Line ferries on Lake Erie to use biodiesel mix

The following is the text of a press release issued by Miller Boat Line:
 
(PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio) — Miller Boat Line is taking a bold step toward “greening up” its ferry service to Put-in-Bay this season. The company has begun using a 10-20 percent biofuel mix in one of its passenger vessels, the William Market, and has plans to eventually use it in all four of its vessels. Miller Boat Line is one of the only passenger ferry services in the nation using this type of alternative fuel.

The biofuel, G2 Diesel, provides 15 percent better fuel economy than traditional diesel and leaves a cleaner wake, protecting Lake Erie and generating fewer harmful emissions. Miller Boat Line has long been the most value-friendly way to travel to Put-in-Bay and the only way to bring vehicles to the island. Now, the company has become the only environmentally-friendly option for tourists as well, said Scott Market, vice president of Miller Boat Line.

“As a family-owned business, we think about our kids with everything we do and we thought it was time to do something to protect the environment for future generations,” said Market. “This allows us to shrink our carbon footprint.”
G2 Diesel, is manufactured by a local company named 11 Good Energy, headquartered in Canton, Ohio. G2 Diesel is made primarily from soybean oil and ethanol and has a distinctly different aroma than traditional diesel when burned: some say it smells like French fries or butterscotch.

Using G2 Diesel costs the company more than traditional diesel; however, the ferry service is keeping its fares the same. Miller Boat Line has made a dedicated effort to support Ohio businesses in this effort; 11 Good Energy uses locally-grown soybean oil.

It is 99 percent agricultural in material and manufactured using 70 percent less energy than traditional biodiesel. It has been used in locomotives, trucks, and buses: this is the company’s first demonstration of marine applications.
Using G2 Diesel will not affect the speed of the vessel. The fuel will result in a cleaner burning engine, less pollution, and better lubricity of the internal parts in the engine which, in turn, will provide more engine hours between rebuilds.
Early feedback on the new fuel from tourists has been positive, said Market.

“On behalf of 11 Good Energy, I would like to thank Miller Boat Line for their proactive commitment to environmental consciousness,” said Frederick C. Berndt, CEO of 11 Good Energy. “Miller Boat Line is the first to demonstrate our biofuel in a marine application and prove that there are economical ways to be “green,” he said.

About Miller Boat Line
Miller Boat Line ferries are the only scheduled means of transporting passengers, freight, vehicles and commercial vehicles to the Lake Erie islands of Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Island, Ohio. More information about Miller Boat Line can be found online at www.millerferry.com.

By Professional Mariner Staff