Business

Fuel Waxing: Minimising the Impact on Marine Operations

A serious concern for those handling Marine Fuel is waxing – the formation of wax crystals that can have a variety of negative impacts, shares expert.

Published

3 years ago

February 26, 2023

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Vasco Passanha, Technical Manager EMEA at Aderco, on Monday (20 February) shared the impact of marine fuel waxing in an article on LinkedIn and explained how the phenomenon can be avoided. The following is an excerpt from the article:

A serious concern for those handling Marine Fuel is waxing – the formation of wax crystals that can have a variety of negative impacts.

Vasco explains it is more prone to low viscosity VLSFO fuel due to its higher paraffinic nature and shared how waxing can be minimized through proper temperature management.

Vasco explains “Paraffinic fuels contain a different mix of molecules than more aromatic-based fuels, making them more sensitive to changes in temperature and therefore more prone to waxing. When fuel drops below its Cloud Point (the temperature at which wax crystals can first form), these crystals will Agglomerate together inside the storage tanks, fuel lines and filters, clogging these components up significantly. Engineers will see this in the filters and fuel waxing can also affect the operations of the separator. To counter this issue, it’s imperative that fuel is heated correctly so that the wax crystals are reincorporated correctly back into the fuel blend.”

He continues “The key takeaway here is that when it comes to heating VLSFOs, less is often more. Excessive temperatures should not be used as this can increase costs and may destabilise the fuel creating asphaltenic sludge. As VLSFO is more paraffinic the rules are not the same as HFO and needs a higher temperature than the original suggests to avoid waxing, although a higher viscosity VLSFO can still adhere to HFO temperature guidance.

Usually, a Pour Point plus 10 degrees Celsius should be sufficient in managing fuel temperature and preventing wax build-up within tanks, fuel lines and filters, however, performing a lab test to confirm the exact temperature to operate could save many operational issues.

By sticking within these parameters and making sure all other aspects of storage remain consistent, it should be easier to avoid most issues related to wax build-up in VLSFOs.”

There is an issue, he continues, with ISO 8217 catching up, as the Pour Points were based on HFO, with VLSFO being adopted as the main fuel oil only fairly recently and correct guidance is still catching up.”

The table below has been created by Alfa Laval in June 2019, as a general guide to heating storage tanks and also provides separation temperature to limit operational issues.

“To really understand your fuel, it’s best to test it regularly for determining wax liquefaction temperature. Having it tested in a lab will reveal the correct temperatures to store and handle fuel at its best.”

“One issue” He continues “heating in some storage tanks don’t go above certain temperatures, this might be due to the placement of heating coils, or goods that are being transported etc. Also, wax crystals can exist that can’t be seen, due to temperature being marginally cooler than in the ‘Goldilocks zone’ and then the separator cannot distinguish between sludge and wax crystals and therefore sends waxy fuel to the sludge tank wasting fuel and money.”

So, what can Aderco do? “Although Aderco fuel conditioners can’t help the issue itself, they can clean the engine. Aderco helps to reincorporate and restabilise fuel, post waxing. A good example in which Aderco is applied in this instance is when a ship has to shut off heating before dry dock, treat with Aderco prior, to stabilise, and to help homogenise when vessel comes out of dry dock.”

Note: The original article on LinkedIn can be obtained here.

Photo credit: Aderco
Published: 27 February, 2023

Winding up

Singapore: Notice of intended dividend issued for Xihe Holdings’ subsidiaries

Creditors will need to produce proofs of debt to liquidators of Da Xin Tankers and Nan Chiau Maritime by 5 August, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

7 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

Two notices to declare the intended dividend of Xihe Holdings’ subsidiaries to their creditors have been posted on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (22 July).

The subsidiaries are Da Xin Tankers Pte Ltd and Nan Chiau Maritime Pte Ltd.

The following are the details of the notices of intended dividend:

Name of Company : Da Xin Tankers (Pte) Ltd (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 198400895W
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 August 2026 at 5:00 pm by email to [email protected]
Name of Liquidators : Paresh Tribhovan Jotangia and Ho May Kee
Address : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Name of Company : Nan Chiau Maritime (Pte.) Ltd. (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No.: 200814296Z
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 August 2026 at 5:00 pm by email to [email protected]
Name of Liquidators : Paresh Tribhovan Jotangia and Ho May Kee
Address : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 23 July, 2026

Biofuel

South Korea: S-Oil launches B30-VLSFO bio bunker fuel supply

Company says it has established an integrated operating system in the Ulsan region covering the entire value chain, from feedstock procurement and blending to supply.

Published

7 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

South Korea: S-Oil launches B30-VLSFO bio bunker fuel supply

South Korean petroleum and refining company S-Oil on Wednesday (22 July) said it has started supplying B30 very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), as the company seeks to support shipping’s decarbonisation efforts and growing demand for lower-carbon bunker fuels.

The company said its B30 VLSFO contains 30% sustainable biofuel blended with conventional VLSFO and can be used without requiring modifications to existing vessels, enabling shipowners to comply more readily with emissions regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU).

S-Oil said it has established an integrated operating system in the Ulsan region covering the entire value chain, from feedstock procurement and blending to supply. The system combines VLSFO produced at its Onsan refinery with biofuel production facilities and storage infrastructure in the Ulsan region, allowing the entire process to be carried out within a single logistics hub.

According to the company, the integrated supply chain reduces transportation requirements during production while improving supply efficiency and reliability.

S-Oil also highlighted Ulsan Port as a strategic location for marine biofuel supply, noting the port has strong demand for bio-bunker fuels, particularly from car carriers, enabling prompt and stable deliveries to key customers.

An S-Oil official stated: “In the bio-marine fuel market, not only product quality but also securing a stable supply of raw materials and an efficient supply system are important competitive advantages.

“Based on our existing bunkering business capabilities and the excellent supply infrastructure in the Onsan area, we plan to supply stable and competitive low-carbon fuel.”

Photo credit: S-Oil
Published: 23 July, 2026

Decarbonisation

Yang Ming and PSA to develop integrated sea-land decarbonisation solutions

Both will explore solutions spanning emissions measurement and verification, a digital Book-and-Claim framework, and a joint maritime-land inset token package.

Published

8 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

Yang Ming and PSA to develop integrated sea-land decarbonisation solutions

PSA International (PSA) on Monday (20 July) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) to jointly accelerate the adoption of low-carbon solutions across the maritime value chain.

Beyond emissions measurement and verification, the collaboration will focus on a digital Book-and-Claim framework and a joint maritime-land based inset token package.

“This synergy provides cargo stakeholders with a transparent and accountable sea-land pathway to achieve their decarbonisation targets,” PSA said on its website.

Yang Ming launched the green transport service, EcoSea+. This initiative integrates Yang Ming’s low-carbon navigation capabilities to empower customers with a flexible and transparent strategy to effectively reduce their Scope 3 transportation emissions. By joining forces with PSA, Yang Ming is able to expand the impact of these sustainability actions beyond the ocean.

Building on its position as a global port operator, PSA advances its Node to Network strategy through integrated port and supply chain capabilities that enable a green network of terminal and landside operations to reduce end-to-end supply chain emissions.

The agreement was officially signed by Mr Ivan Chiang, Chief Logistics Officer & Senior Vice President of Yang Ming, and Mr Eddy Ng, Group Head of Operations, Technology and Sustainability of PSA International.

Mr Ong Kim Pong, PSA International Group CEO, said, “As responsible stewards of tomorrow, PSA is committed to delivering sustainable impact across the global port and supply chain ecosystem.

“Tackling the challenges arising from climate change will require the collective efforts of all players in the maritime supply chain sector. We are excited to partner Yang Ming on the decarbonisation of global supply chains and support the transition towards a more sustainable global economy.”

Photo credit: PSA International
Published: 23 July, 2026