A recent Curtin University-led research has confirmed the 1,000 tonnes of a marine fuel oil spilled in 2020 when bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground, is still present in an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest close to important Ramsar conservation sites.

Lead researcher Dr Alan Scarlett, from Curtin’s WA Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of the oil found in the mangrove sediments was a near-perfect match for the Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) spilled by the Wakashio in 2020 – the first recorded spill involving this type of fuel.

“Local communities in Mauritius have been aware of oil contamination in the mangrove wetlands since the Wakashio spill, but no official confirmation had been made regarding the source,” Dr Scarlett said.

“Identifying and acknowledging this contamination is crucial, both for the people of Mauritius and for global understanding, as little is known about how this new marine fuel behaves once spilled.”

Dr Scarlett said samples from the mangrove wetlands, including a reference site thought to be unaffected by the spill, were analysed using advanced chemical techniques.

“We confirmed the reference site was free of oil contamination, while another site contained oil originating from the Wakashio’s fuel tanks,” Dr Scarlett said.

“We found the spilled oil had undergone substantial weathering and biodegradation in the three years since the accident and this had removed or reduced the levels of many of its toxic compounds.

“However, the ongoing presence of the oil could still pose an unknown risk to the sensitive mangrove ecosystem.”

In a previous collaboration with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Curtin research team obtained a unique chemical ‘fingerprint’ of the spilled oil, which enabled them to confirm its presence in the mangrove sediments.

The study also compared the behaviour of the Wakashio‘s VLSFO with traditional marine heavy fuel oils using models developed from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s oil spill scenario tool, WebGNOME-ADIOS.

“Our modelling suggested more of the Wakashio’s fuel would evaporate, naturally disperse or sink compared to traditional fuels, but assessing the impact on organisms remains challenging,” Dr Scarlett said.

The research, titled ‘Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil spilled from the MV Wakashio in 2020 remains in sediments in a Mauritius mangrove ecosystem nearly three years after the grounding’, was published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Manifold Times covered the Wakashio oil spill extensively in 2020 and past articles on the incident can be found here.

Photo credit: International Maritime Organisation
Published: 9 December, 2024

CHIMBUSCO Jiangsu on Tuesday (3 December) said it successfully refuelled the new methanol dual-fuel powered 1,300TEU container ship NCL VESTLAND at Taizhou Sanfu Marine Engineering.

The total amount of methanol bunker fuel delivered to the boxship was 79.5 metric tonnes.

CHIMBUSCO Jiangsu said the implementation of bunkering operation marked a major breakthrough for the company in the application of alternative fuels for ships, marking its ability to supply methanol marine fuel to ships on a regular basis.

A mobile methanol bunkering skid jointly developed by CHIMBUSCO Jiangsu and COSCO (Lianyungang) Liquid Loading & Unloading Equipment was used for the bunkering operation, which was successfully completed in 2.5 hours. 

In a separate statement, COSCO Shipping said the bunkering operation represented CHIMBUSCO Jiangsu’s first marine methanol fuel supply onshore.

The mobile methanol filling skid operates using the pump as its power source to facilitate simultaneous unloading and refuelling tasks. 

This skid includes several key functional modules, each of which is highly integrated. This integration ensures a safe and efficient process for transferring methanol fuel from tankers to a vessel’s fuel bunker, while also enabling seamless operation and intelligent management. 

The mobile methanol filling skid offers flexibility, requires low initial investment, and boasts a rapid bunkering rate of 180 cubic metres (m3) per hour. 

“It stands as an optimal solution for methanol bunkering in the era before widespread adoption of methanol bunkering vessels. Additionally, it can provide bunkering support for shipyards to test new vessels and meet the bunkering requirements of the shipyard,” it added. 

Photo credit: CHIMBUSCO Jiangsu
Published: 6 December, 2024

Industry coalition SEA-LNG on Thursday (5 December) said that while the approximately 2,200 LNG-fuelled vessels and LNG carriers represent only ‘two minutes into the hour’ of the global fleet of approximately 60,000 deep sea vessels, it remains an adolescent fuel that is maturing significantly faster than other alternative bunker fuels. 

However, it said the LNG pathway still needs more investment, especially in landside facilities for liquefaction near ports, bio and synthetic methane production and bunkering capacity worldwide.

This year has witnessed unprecedented investment in the maturing and scaling of LNG from ship owners.  LNG is starting to dominate as the preferred future fuel pathway. 

However, the bunker market, while growing substantially, is lagging and concerns persist regarding the ability to supply the rapidly growing fleet of LNG-fuelled vessels.

Peter Keller, Chairman, SEA-LNG, said: “With high profile owners now choosing the LNG pathway, we anticipate this trend will continue and accelerate through 2025 and beyond.”

“As the various alternative fuel pathways mature, there is a growing realisation that, despite previous aspirations, some alternative fuel pathways – like the LNG pathway – are more practical and realistic than others.”

“While investment in newbuild LNG-fuelled ships is robust, we need to see the same for bunker vessels, supply and liquefaction infrastructure. As the LNG pathway continues to mature and the use of liquefied biomethane and eventually e-methane increases, the delivery of the fuel to vessels must be assured and the investment gap closed.”

Keller added: “There are approximately 60,000 deep sea ships on the water and, today, we’re looking at around 600 LNG capable ships afloat with a further 600 on order. There are another 1,000 LNG cargo carriers and bunker vessels of varying sizes.”

“While that’s a small percentage of the global fleet, as the clock ticks towards shipping’s emissions reduction targets, the LNG pathway is maturing far faster than other alternative fuels.”

According to DNV there are currently 54 methanol vessels and 2 ammonia vessels on the water.

There are aspects of LNG usage that are fully mature – safety for one. LNG is easy to transport, poses minimal, if any, risk to marine environments, has a low flammability range and is non-toxic. Effective regulations, standards and guidelines for safe operations are widespread, and LNG has been shipped around the world for almost 60 years without any major incidents at sea or in ports.

Keller continued: “When compared to traditional fuels, LNG is more of a teenager with all the growing pains, challenges and victories associated with adolescence.”

“But it is maturing all the time as the market continues to grow, new build orders continue to rise, and the LNG pathway with biomethane and eventually e-methane produced from renewable hydrogen, gains acceptance globally.”

“Shipping stakeholders are investing in LNG because it provides a low risk, incremental pathway for decarbonisation, starting now.  The other alternative fuels are basically toddlers by comparison.  And when it comes to safety, some are mere newborns!”

Another critical need in the maturing process during a period of increased regulation of carbon emissions is the adoption of standardised chain of custody models on a worldwide basis. 

Chain of custody models are becoming increasingly important to maritime decarbonisation as they provide mechanisms to verify that the fuels used are low carbon. 

Such verification creates investor confidence in new fuel supply chains and accelerates the transition to low-carbon fuels, enabling early adoption in conditions of limited supply. 

“They will create a market for green fuels by connecting buyers to fuel producers away from bunker ports enabling faster scaling and providing flexibility to shipping companies at lower cost,” SEA-LNG added.

Photo credit: SEA-LNG
Published: 6 December, 2024