Environmental focus for Volvo Penta at China Boat Show
2013-04-11
Volvo Penta
Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important in China and, at the 18th China International Boat Show, Volvo Penta is demonstrating the environmental benefit that can be achieved with innovative, high-tech products.
When Volvo Penta launched its new propulsion system with forward-facing propellers, the Inboard Performance System (IPS), the objective was to offer a more effective alternative to the traditional propulsion system in boats using a straight shaft and a single propeller.
Volvo Penta’s radical innovation improved boats in every respect, not least environmentally. At a single stroke, Volvo Penta was able to reduce fuel consumption in boats by some 30 per cent and by even more in many cases.
“Boating
de facto has a negative impact on the environment, but, using innovative thinking, Volvo Penta has developed technical solutions that dramatically reduce the negative environmental effects. In China in particular, it is important to take the greatest possible advantage of this technology,” says Volvo Penta’s president, Björn Ingemanson.
Environmental care is one of Volvo Penta’s core values and, as a world-leading boat-engine supplier, Volvo Penta has been working systematically and consciously for decades to reduce the environmental impact of boat engines. Every year, Volvo Penta invests somewhere in the region of SEK 500 million in product development and the largest part of this sum is devoted to the development of more fuel-efficient, less environmentally negative engines and propulsion systems.
“Sometimes our new products achieve improvements of just a few per cent, while others enable us to take a huge step, which is the case with IPS. Every step gradually helps to reduce the environmental impact and we are proud to be involved in driving this development,” says Björn Ingemanson.
At the start of this year, the most rigorous marine emission requirements in the marine world came into force in Europe. Volvo Penta’s product programme complies with these requirements and it is sold at global level, even to markets that currently have no legal requirements governing leisure boats.
“We always offer the boat-engine industry the very latest technology, regardless of the legal requirements and regardless of where in the world we sell engines. We know that environmental arguments and new technology are strong selling points for all our customers in the boat industry,” adds Björn Ingemanson.
As in previous years, Volvo Penta is once again a partner in and sponsor of the China International Boat Show. This year’s show is the 18th since the start and it will be held between 11 and 14 April at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre. The number of exhibitors is 20% higher than at the preceding show and the number of visitors is expected to increase at the same rate.
