As December sneaks by, once again we’re left scratching our heads, wondering how the calendar managed to sprint through another year. 2023, in all its ‘normal’ glory, felt like a welcome return to routine—or as close to it as we can get, after a few crazy years. The second half of the year was practically a boat show extravaganza. We graced marinas across the globe, from Monaco to Florida, meeting and chatting with the top names in the superyacht industry. Busy doesn’t even begin to cover it, especially for our fantastic team at Peninsula.
Reflecting on the past 12 months, it has undoubtedly been about growth and development for Peninsula. We took a deep dive into our services, unearthing any shortcomings, and building strategies to improve. But this year hasn’t just been about wowing our clients and customers; we looked at how we could improve for the sake of the industry and our teams. We have always prided ourselves on being at the forefront of making the superyacht industry more sustainable, and 2023 was no exception.
Once again this spring, we saw the fleet returning in prep to spend their summer in the beautiful turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. It was a delight to see some of our more familiar clients again and have the chance to catch up on where their winter adventures had taken them. Interwoven with our returning clients were some new superyachts and new faces greeting us at our Gibraltar fuel terminal. It is always a pleasure to get to work with so many fantastic captains and crews, especially as it allows us to see what steps they are taking to become more sustainable.
Our promise to the environment runs deep in the culture at Peninsula; sitting proudly as one of our core pillars. Throughout the past few years, we have taken a myriad of steps to ensure that we are doing all that we can to help minimise the environmental impact yachting has; such as working exclusively with second-generation biofuels. This year we took even more accountability by taking further steps towards the decarbonisation of the superyacht industry. Peninsula is the leading independent marine fuel supplier, making it imperative that our team travel to test products and vet suppliers to ensure our products are the best they can be. 2023 saw us partner with the fantastic team at Yacht Carbon Offset, who work closely with yachting companies to assist them in offsetting their carbon emissions; in our case, that is our team’s travel. Yacht Carbon Offset engages in carefully selected global projects, primarily in coastal or island areas of developing countries, effectively addressing environmental issues and supporting local communities in need of financial assistance. This partnership has allowed us to continue to develop new products, and discover more sustainable and environmentally conscious options for our clients; while minimising our effect on the climate and supporting underprivileged communities.
Continuing with our commitment to sustainability, during the last 12 months, we have taken the necessary steps to officially become ISCC EU certified. Understandably this is something we are really proud of as this certification ensures that our well-to-wake pipeline is sustainable, fully traceable, deforestation-free, and climate-friendly. In ensuring the full certification of our marine fuels, the ISCC conducts a comprehensive assessment of each entity involved in the product’s journey. Every company undergoes thorough annual audits to ensure ongoing compliance with the required standards and specifications. Upon confirming compliance, certification is granted, and a Proof of Sustainability (PoS) or Sustainability Declaration accompanies the product along its journey through the sustainable value chain. Our ISCC certification allows us to confidently provide high-quality marine fuel to the maritime and superyacht industry, assuring its origin from a reputable and sustainable source.
The essence of the Peninsula brand rests on three core pillars: customer-centricity, a commitment to sustainability, and a dedication to embracing technology. These principles serve as the catalysts propelling our initiatives, inspiring us to pursue excellence. Our relentless efforts in ongoing development and enhancement underscore our ability to consistently deliver optimal service to our clients and customers. We have carefully considered invaluable feedback and implemented a range of improvements in the past 12 months. Specifically, we have introduced enhancements to ensure better vessel accessibility at our superyacht fuel terminal in Gibraltar. Our team is now equipped with a dedicated vehicle designed to park seamlessly next to your superyacht. Introducing this specialised van streamlines the delivery process for vital supplies like provisions. We aim to provide captains and crew with a more convenient and efficient experience by positioning our services near your vessel.
As always we take immense pride in our services, ensuring that our delivery is always reliable, transparent, and of the highest quality. We took time this year to ensure our team were working as efficiently as possible to be sure that our standards didn’t slip. Our dedicated on-site team operates 24/7, demonstrating unwavering commitment to ensuring that captains and crew have uninterrupted access to all essential amenities during their stay with us. Our Gibraltar Operations team coordinates the seamless movement of our valued customers across Gibraltar, skillfully adjusting to your preferred schedules and dates. Additionally, our energetic sales team acts as your first point of contact, laying the foundation for a smooth and personalised journey right from the beginning.
At Peninsula, we aim for full transparency; allowing our clients and customers to understand our entire process, and what we do to ensure quality and sustainability. With transparency in mind, we had the honour of welcoming the Superyacht Times team to the Peninsula headquarters in Gibraltar in 2023. Justin Ratcliffe engaged in interviews with our team, delving into Peninsula’s preparations for this transformation and our approaches to supporting the superyacht industry’s shift from traditional fuels to sustainable alternatives. Chris Warde, our Yacht Team Manager, shared insights on how evolving regulations are influencing the yacht fuelling landscape. Furthermore, Jeroen De Vos, Head of Quality at Peninsula, provided valuable perspectives on the emerging fuel varieties that are currently gaining prominence in the industry.
We’re beaming with pride as we reflect on the strides and transformations happening at Peninsula this year. It’s not just about the tweaks we’ve made behind the scenes; it’s also witnessing the superyacht industry set its mind towards a more sustainable future. Our journey through the boat show season allowed us to take our dedication to a conscious future to crucial conversations with some of the most important people in the industry. We are very lucky to be able to have these conversations with the people in the positions to make changes and hope that it isn’t much longer before the rest of the industry begins to have the same mindset as us.
As autumn set it, we bid farewell to a myriad of captains, crew, and amazing superyachts as they made their way over to warmer climates for the winter. As always it was a pleasure to work with these amazing people this year and we will welcome them with open arms as spring makes its return to Europe.
2023 has been a very exciting year for us. Our team has been working tirelessly this year to ensure we can continue delivering the standards we are known for. Not only have we grown as a company, but we have seen so many individuals flourish within our teams. This growth is only going to continue as we progress into 2024. The horizon is already looking welcoming with new faces joining the team in the coming months, promising only a bigger and better year for Peninsula.
Make sure you keep up to date with all of our exciting changes on our news page, or by following us on Linkedin or Instagram.
