20 Jan 2012

GO2 receives audit 'thumbs-up'

By Don Hoyt Gorman

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Cerion Energy, developer and manufacturer of the nanoparticle fuel additive GO2—which redistributes oxygen in the engine chamber during combustion, accelerating the combustion process—has had its product’s superyacht performance favourably audited by the US firm Emisstar.

According to the report, which Cerion Energy paid to have conducted by Emisstar, the objective was to conduct an independent third party review and audit of Cerion Energy’s techniques, data analysis, and results for GO2 on diesel engine fuel economy and emissions during a sea trial aboard the motor yacht Big Fish.

The results showed an 11 per cent improvement in fuel economy, a seven per cent reduction in CO₂ emission, a 41 per cent reduction in unburned hydrocarbon emissions, and a 20 per cent reduction in particulate matter (Download the full Emisstar report here).

“The first five hour sea-trial was conducted off Port Everglades, Florida in late May of 2011,” said Winston Joyce-Clark, captain of Big Fish in an email from onboard. “A second set of sea trials were conducted en route to Sweden, after the vessel had crossed the Atlantic. Although testing was done on the delivery between the Kiel Canal and Stockholm, the results were negated by the fact that the salinity in the Baltic was too low to compare the numbers effectively against the earlier test. In November 2011, at 44,653 nautical miles, a third sea trial was conducted in the protected waters of the British Virgin Islands and the test results proved to be extremely encouraging.”


Based on the confirmation of the emissions numbers from Emisstar, Cerion will continue to promote the product as providing 8-14 per cent savings in fuel consumption. “Based on our extensive testing aboard Big Fish, as well as in the commercial sector, the average saving is about 10 per cent,” said Landon Mertz, chief financial officer of Cerion Energy.

GO2 is mixed with fuel at 5 parts per million. The current price in the US is $550 per gallon (4.5 litres). ECOsuperyacht is selling 10 litres for €1,275, excluding VAT. According to Mertz, that provides a 7-7.5 per cent net saving in fuel expenditure.

“Factors that will change how well the product performs from engine to engine include engine age, design and maintenance history,” Mertz explained.

“The fact that GO2 is backed by real, proven science is the reason I initiated tests on Apogee,” said Richard Boggs, technical superintendent of Camper & Nicholsons International. “The results didn't disappoint. The fact that the product demonstration was audited by an independent firm coupled with the anecdotal evidence from the crew, who were seeing considerably less soot, was the icing on the cake.”

Engine manufacturers have so far not approved Cerion or any other fuel additive for use. “If the additive does not take the fuel out of specification, as defined in the engine manufacturers warranty criteria, then there is no voiding of the warranty,” Mertz points out.

Southwest Research, the engine testing lab in the US, has performed tests for Cerion to determine whether the addition of GO2 altered the fuel out of engine manufacturer’s standard specifications, and found that it did not. According to Mertz, Southwest Research found that the addition of GO2 increased the lubricating properties of the fuel, a positive and unanticipated finding of the tests.

“Ultimately, we’d like to be a solution out of the gate for engine manufacturers, much like selective catalytic reduction has been,” said Matt Winslow, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Cerion Energy. “Engine manufacturers are looking at any and all solutions to meet upcoming and current compliance standards for emissions and fuel reduction. So we’re in the beginning stages of discussions with Cummins and Scania, and we plan to do the same with Caterpillar.”

Cerion has a distribution facility in Fort Lauderdale providing one-day delivery to the Fort Lauderdale-Miami market. In Europe, GO2 is distributed by ECOsuperyacht in five key locations. Winslow says Cerion Energy is planning additional distribution through marinas in St. Maarten and St. Thomas as well as adding distribution in Australia and New Zealand and seven locations in South East Asia.

“We all burn diesel to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running and even at anchor,” said Joyce-Clark. “Our ‘fuel friendly’ vessel’ consumes the equivalent of what a Toyota Prius uses to drive 10,800km. It’s pretty awkward working on a megayacht and trying to convince the public that the boat is ‘Green’ or eco friendly. As an operator it behooves us to find solutions that make a difference.”

“If the accountant as well as the deck crew can agree on one thing, it has to be the fact that both are getting a better deal from a boat that runs cleaner and burns less fuel,” he continued. “I trust that over time, running a cleaner plant will put a dent in the cost of our operations and give the sceptics a chance to reflect on the fact that there are companies in the marine industry that are striving for a more efficient process.”

Correction: This story has been amended to clarify that Cerion Energy was a client of Emisstar for the audit.

Related Links

Cerion Energy Website

ECOSuperyacht Profile | ECOSuperyacht Website

Emisstar Website

Aquos Yachts Website

Camper & Nicholsons Profile | Camper & Nicholsons Website

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