Bunker Fuel Quality

CTI-Maritec: Update on Houston bunker fuel problem

It can be argued that these fuels represented by the tested samples may not meet the general requirements outlined in clause 5 of ISO8217, says CTI-Maritec.

Published

2 months ago

October 5, 2023

Admin

Bunker fuel testing and marine surveying business Maritec Pte Ltd (CTI-Maritec) on Wednesday (4 October) issued an alert regarding fuel samples collected from the region showed significant high levels of two particular compounds and gave its recommendations:

In recent times, there have been notable machinery issues affecting vessels bunkering from the United States, particularly in the Houston area. These problems include failures in Main Engine startup, loss of power from auxiliary engines resulting in the loss of propulsion, and fuel pump malfunctions, among others. These concerns have been widely reported in the news.

CTI-Maritec, an independent fuel testing laboratory, has undertaken an investigation into fuel samples collected from this region. The analysis has revealed elevated levels of specific compounds, which have raised concerns about the stability of the fuel being used in these vessels.

Over the past few months, our testing has identified three vessel fuel samples with significantly high levels of two compounds:

• Dihydro-dicyclopentadiene (ranging from 1200 ppm to 6000 ppm) and

• Tetrahydro-dicyclopentadiene (ranging from 2500 ppm to 5500 ppm)

These samples exhibited a poor reserve stability, measured using manual P-value by SMS1600 test method. This suggests a lack of homogeneity in the fuel sample, which could potentially pinpoint to similar conditions in the supplied fuel.

Table 1 (page 2) shows our findings for one of the samples upon progressive dilution with cetane, a paraffinic solvent prescribed for SMS1600 test method.

Recommendation by CTI-Maritec

For acceptable fuel stability asphaltene flocculation generally does not occur upon cetane dilution up to 30%, and fuels that are able to withstand dilution up to 50% are considered as stable fuels for strategic long-term storage.

For the sample tested, asphaltene flocculation was detected prior to cetane dilution and gradual increase of cetane % increased the observed flocculation levels which indicates the fuel has poor stability reserve.

The presence of the compounds detected at elevated levels for the fuels tested increases the risk of unmanageable sludge deposition in the fuel oil system. This, in turn, can result in complications related to fuel treatment processes and engine operation.

It is worth noting that while these compounds are commonly found in marine bunker fuels, their current prevalence in this region is unusually high. This may indicate inadequate quality control measures within the production and supply chain.

Based on the above findings, it can be argued that these fuels represented by the tested samples may not meet the general requirements outlined in clause 5 of ISO8217. Therefore, if your vessel is bunkering in this area, we strongly advise you to request the fuel supplier to provide a Certificate of Quality from an accredited laboratory.

This certificate should, at a minimum, confirm the absence of the aforementioned compounds using accredited GC-MS methods. This precautionary measure is crucial to ensure the safe and reliable operation of your vessel's machinery.

This document, however, does not reflect on the overall quality of fuel being supplied in the Houston region.

Photo credit: Maritec Pte Ltd
Published: 5 October, 2023

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VPS bags Marine Fuel Testing and Inspection Excellence Award in Singapore

‘As we celebrate this achievement, we also remain committed to our future endeavours in decarbonisation, digitisation, and energy efficiency,’ says firm.

Published

1 day ago

December 5, 2023

Admin

VPS bags Marine Fuel Testing and Inspection Excellence Award in Singapore

Marine fuels testing company VPS on Monday (4 December) said it was honoured with the prestigious Marine Fuel Testing and Inspection Excellence Award at the inaugural Marine Fuels 360 Awards gala dinner held on 29 November at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

VPS said the recognition underscored its steadfast dedication to excellence, innovation, and leadership within the maritime and bunker industry.

The Marine Fuels 360 Awards ceremony is a pioneering event in the marine fuels industry, organised by Informa Markets with an independent global panel of judges, and dedicated to acknowledging remarkable contributions and accomplishments.

The gala dinner, attended by approximately 350 prominent figures from the maritime and bunker sector, served as a platform for industry leaders to gather and recognise outstanding achievements.

“VPS's recognition in the Marine Fuel Testing and Inspection Excellence category highlights our exceptional technical expertise, professionalism, and dedication to meeting Port State Control’s bunker fuel quality requirements while promoting sustainable bunker procurement practices,” the firm said in a statement.

VPS also announced its three future core areas it will be focusing on moving forward.

“As we celebrate this achievement, we also remain committed to our future endeavours in decarbonisation, digitisation, and energy efficiency. The marine fuels industry is evolving rapidly, and VPS is actively engaged in initiatives related to the viability and realities of alternative fuels,” it said.

“Our focus includes exploring options such as methanol as bunker fuel, where VPS conducted the world’s first quantity and quality survey in Singapore, Egypt and Rotterdam.”

The firm also noted its acquisition of Xyney Maritime and Emsys supports its direction to provide data driven decarbonisation solutions, emissions monitoring and leveraging these with its existing largest database of marine fuel quality.

“This dynamic combination of existing competence with future capabilities, we believe, has been pivotal in winning this prestigious Marine Fuel Testing & Inspection Excellence Award. We are proud of the collective efforts of the entire VPS team that have led to this recognition,” it added.

“This award is a reflection of our dedication to pioneering work and sets the stage for future accomplishments in our journey toward sustainable and efficient maritime practices.”

VPS also said it will continue to be at the forefront of industry advancements, collaborating closely with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD).

“Our ongoing work on fingerprinting biofuels aims to establish transparent methods for determining the origins of these fuels & thereby provide additional proof of sustainability,” it said.

Photo credit: Informa Markets
Published: 5 December, 2023

Events

DNV, VPS, ZeroNorth and EMF among Marine Fuels 360 Award winners

Informa Markets announced recipients to twelve open awards across four sectors – Shipping, Bunker Trade & Supply, Decarbonisation & Technology and Bunkering services – and three special awards.

Published

5 days ago

December 1, 2023

Admin

DNV, VPS, ZeroNorth and Equatorial Marine Fuel among Marine Fuels 360 Award winners

Informa Markets on Wednesday (29 November) announced the recipients to the inaugural Marine Fuels 360 Awards 2023 at a Gala Dinner held at the Marina Bay Sands.

Twelve open awards across four sectors – Shipping, Bunker Trade & Supply, Decarbonisation & Technology and Bunkering services were conferred, evaluated by a panel of judges formed by industry thought-leaders.

The hotly contested Decarbonisation Technology Award was awarded to Anemoi Marine Technologies, with their Rotor Sails technology standing out as an innovative, safe and effective solution for reducing environmental impact of the shipping industry, as well as its potential for wide- scale adoption.

Kim Diederichsen, CEO of Anemoi Marine Technologies, said: “What we do is we bring wind technology to the market, namely rotor sails. It's an honour being here, receiving this prestigious award this night.” Reducing fuel consumption and emissions on commercial vessels through utilising wind power for auxiliary propulsion, the technology can be adapted to various vessel types and sizes from existing vessels to newbuilds, to enhance their Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI).

TFG Marine Pte Ltd was awarded the Physical Supplier of the Year Award. It stands out as an industry leader for its scale of operations, proactive approach to decarbonisation, investment in technology, commitment to transparency and customer service. As one of the world’s largest physical bunker suppliers, TFG has delivered more than 10 million tons to over 480 clients globally over the last financial year.

Marine Fuels 360 Conference — *Marine Fuels 360 Awards*

“TFG is very honoured to get this award and it's a recognition of the hard work and the good work we have done and also the milestones we have achieved so far for the whole of the year. We will continue to strive to provide good services and transparency to our customers, support all the alternative fuels and energy transitions across all spectrum”, said Soo Yong, Regional Bunker Sales.

Three special awards were also presented to celebrate the recognise the outstanding work and exemplary contributions to three individuals, recognising their performance in the bunkering industry – Industry Icon, CEO of the Year and Lifetime Achievement:

The Industry Icon Award goes to Mr Choong Kien Siong, President, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services Pte Ltd, who said: “It is a great honour to receive this prestigious award. Together withthe new generation, Equatorial Marine Fuel will continue to adapt and reinvent ourselves as we sail into the green economy.”

The CEO of the Year was presented to Mr. Russell Hardy, Group CEO, Vitol Services Ltd. Receiving the award on his behalf is Captain Rishab Bahl, Managing Director of Mansel Pte Ltd, said: “The maritime industry has committed to a major decarbonisation mission and this is not going to be without challenges. Our industry will turn to Singapore for leadership and our industry has committed to a major decarbonisation mission where we will support Singapore’s decarbonising journey.

The honorary Lifetime Achievement was also conferred to Capt. Rajesh Unni, Executive Chairman, Synergy Marine Group, who said: “If there is one thing that I have learnt, is that Singapore offersthe opportunity on the basis of meritocracy, there is hope for people to take and given their all and there is chance, so I am grateful for this country for giving us the opportunity and that I have made some impact in your life, that hopefully is my mission.

The full list of awardees as below:

Shipping

Shipping Company of the Year - Hafnia
Ship Manager of the Year – Synergy Marine Group

Bunker Trade & Supply

Physical Supplier of the Year – TFG Marine Pte Ltd
Physical Trader of the Year - Minerva Bunkering Pte Ltd
Deal of the Year - Shell North America LNG
Alternative-Fuelled Vessel Design of the Year - Eaglestar Shipmanagement (S) Pte Ltd
Supply Chain & Logistics Excellence of the Year - TotalEnergies Marine Fuels Pte. Ltd.

Decarbonisation & Technology

Decarbonisation Technology - Anemoi Marine Technologies
Digitalisation- ZeroNorth
Start-Up of the Year - Njord

Bunkering Services

Classification Society - DNV
Marine Fuel Testing & Inspection Excellence - Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS)

Special Awards

Industry Icon – Mr Choong Kien Siong, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services Pte Ltd
CEO of the Year - Mr. Russell Hardy, Vitol Services Ltd
Lifetime Achievement – Capt. Rajesh Unni, Synergy Marine Group

Photo credit: Informa Markets
Published: 1 December, 2023

Bunker Fuel

Marine Fuels 360: Fingerprinting to play key role in proving biofuel feedstock authenticity and beyond, says VPS

‘The proof of sustainability will become really tricky going ahead. However, [VPS/GCMD] trials have proven biofuels possess fatty acid chains that produce a unique profiling,’ states Captain Rahul Choudhuri.

Published

1 week ago

November 29, 2023

Admin

The use of finger printing technology today will likely establish a blueprint of how future alternative bunker fuels’ feedstocks are authenticated, forecasts the President, Strategic Partnerships at marine fuels testing company VPS.

Captain Rahul Choudhuri was speaking amongst panellists in the Alternative Fuels Debate session at Marine Fuels 360 on Tuesday (28 November) when he gave an update of VPS’ biofuels finger printing trials with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD).

“We are currently doing some really important and cutting-edge work together with GCMD in trying to fingerprint biofuels to enhance transparency and authenticity issues,” he stated.

“Biofuel feedstock comes from a variety of sources including edible vegetable oils, animal fat, waste, and components; but how do you figure out what the feedstock really was?”

According to Captain Choudhuri, the supply chain within the shipping and bunkering sector is “different” and prone to contamination or fraud.

Biofuel composition, supplied through several parties, could be inconsistent when delivered to the receiving vessel despite the product being subjected to the International Sustainability Carbon Certification (ISCC) programme.

“The proof of sustainability will become really tricky going ahead. However, [VPS/GCMD] trials have proven biofuels possess fatty acid chains that produce a unique profiling,” he noted.

“If you think your feedstock should be palm-based and the fingerprint shows clearly that it is not – then that’s it – because the fingerprint just doesn't fail irrespective of which country the biofuel comes from.

Captain Choudhuri, meanwhile, believes the use of finger printing for determining feedstocks of future marine fuels could prove challenging.

“It seems we need to dig in a little bit more and honestly, it’s a little trickier. But I am sure our current fingerprinting trials will offer a blueprint of how traceability of future bunker fuels including bio-methanol needs to be.”

Moving forward, Captain Choudhuri highlighted VPS was “very bullish” on the consumption of biofuels as a marine fuel.

“There has been a lot of first movers using biofuels; we've tested more than 1,000 biofuels samples globally over the last year or two, compared to less than a handful pre-COVID. The uptake has been very dramatic in the last two years,” he said.

“Since the beginning of this year, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has recorded more than 400,000 mt of bio-VLSFO being delivered which was four times during the similar period in 2022.

“That’s a huge move and this is exactly what VPS expects it to be.”

Photo credit: Informa
Published: 29 November 2023