Greenway Foundation

Greenway Foundation

For many years, Boat Bike Tours has been actively working to make its activities more sustainable, both in the office and on board the ships. To accelerate this process, the Greenway Foundation was established in 2024. Boat Bike Tours donates an annual amount per passenger to the Foundation. In addition, the Foundation seeks to raise funds through subsidies and other donations.

The Greenway Foundation is made up of an enthusiastic group of doers and thinkers, and pursues the following goals:

• Supporting projects that reduce the ecological footprint
• Supporting projects that increase knowledge in the field of sustainability
• Developing sustainable mooring facilities for boat-and-bike ships

2026

Unfortunately, we had to abandon our 2024 ambition to transition the majority of the fleet to HVO over the coming years in 2026. Due to new regulations, the price of HVO has increased significantly, and the situation in the Middle East has driven prices up even further.

As a result, a smaller part of the fleet will operate on HVO in 2026. The additional costs are covered by the foundation.

The installation of fuel meters was largely completed during the winter of 2025/2026. At the start of the season, several connections were not yet fully operational. This season will be used for thorough testing, and adjustments will be made where necessary. The associated costs are covered by the foundation.

The foundation is also exploring the possibilities for an onboard water treatment system. Existing systems are not suitable for our vessels due to their size, as space in the engine room is very limited. We are therefore in discussions with several companies that see opportunities to develop a more compact system that would be suitable for our smaller river cruise ships.

Initiatives supported in 2025:

• Many more ships than in 2024 are sailing on HVO. The Foundation again pays the price difference. In 2025, approximately 85% of all fuel used by the Dutch fleet will consist of 100% HVO. This results in about a 50% reduction in the total emissions of the Dutch fleet.
• The “measuring is knowing” project is being further expanded. In 2025, about half of the Dutch fleet will be equipped with the necessary equipment. The remainder of the Dutch fleet will follow in the winter of 2025/2026. The Foundation subsidizes between 80% and 90% of the costs.

Initiatives supported in 2024:

• With financial support from the Foundation, 6 ships switched to sailing on HVO100: Flora, La Mar, Lena Maria, Gandalf, De Nassau, De Magnifique II.
• HVO100 (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) is a practically CO2-neutral alternative to diesel. It is a sustainable, fossil-free fuel for diesel engines, derived mainly from plant residues, waste and residual materials, and other organic feedstock. Measured “well-to-wheel,” the reduction in CO2 emissions is around 89 percent.
• The Foundation covered the price difference compared to regular diesel. The goal, in addition to reducing the CO2 footprint, was to test how the different engines would perform. We’ve heard almost exclusively positive feedback. HVO is clean, doesn’t smell, and both engines and heaters have functioned well.
• On the ships Flora and De Holland, the pilot project “measuring is knowing” was launched, fully financed by the Greenway Foundation. Fuel consumption and shore power usage are monitored using fuel meters and KWH meters. The data are collected via Wi-Fi, transmitted to Net Zero Cloud, and made accessible through a dashboard that can be read on a laptop. Besides providing insight for captain and owner – which leads to more efficient sailing – it also provides BBT with reliable data to calculate its CO2 footprint. In the future, companies like BBT will be required to maintain a CO2 administration, and shipping companies will also have to comply with this mandatory CO2 reporting.