Behaviour study on GTL, a new alternative fuel

As part of a project funded by the European Maritime Safety Agency and led by the World Maritime University, CEDRE conducted a study on the behaviour and fate of GTL (Gas-to-Liquid). This product is a new biodiesel that is not widely available in France. Currently, the only known uses in France are for snow groomers and for boats on Lake Annecy and Lake Bourget. This fuel, which has a composition very similar to that of conventional diesel, is produced from natural gas via a process known as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. As part of this project, we studied GTL in the laboratory and then in our Polludrome® to gain a better understanding of its behaviour and to assess the effectiveness of conventional oil spill response techniques.