Marine fuels testing company VPS on Tuesday (11 September) said it has been collaborating with global marine insurer NorthStandard over the past few months on incorporating fuel quality analytics into NorthStandard’s new Get SET! digital portfolio. 

This collaboration has culminated into the launch of the NorthStandard Fuel Insights platform.

The NorthStandard Fuel Insights app, powered by VPS PortStats, offers NorthStandard account holders with a customised and exclusive view on fuel quality trends, based on the data generated by VPS’ laboratories located in key bunkering hubs across the globe. 

Bunker procurement professionals can use this data to improve decision-making, by including off-specs and calorific value to the rationale, whilst technical managers can use the data to anticipate fuel quality risks to avoid bad bunkers.

The digital platform also provides insights beyond off-specs, by highlighting cautionary cases that may require additional treatment or operational advice. 

With the advent of various types and blends of biofuels in the marine industry, VPS is committed to enriching this platform with relevant and actionable insights now and in the future.

“This is a unique collaboration in marine insurance,” said Colin Gillespie, Global Head of Loss Prevention, NorthStandard.

“It offers NorthStandard members easy access to global fuel statistics, as well as the tools to trade with confidence by managing risk and reducing claims in one of the most challenging areas of ship management.”

John Oosthoek, VP Operations Digital & Decarbonisation, VPS, said: “The launch of the Fuel Insights platform is the culmination of a growing partnership between NorthStandard and VPS over the past few years. By utilising reliable fuel quality data owners and operators can anticipate and mitigate the risks associated with fuel quality, such as cat fines, cold-flow, and stability.

“Testing remains essential for verifying quality, but accumulated data also helps vessel owners and operators make informed fuel procurement decisions,” said Steve Bee, Group Commercial & New Business Development Director, VPS. 

“VPS services provide help in ensuring engines and fuel delivery systems do not suffer damage, crews stay healthy and safe, and ships achieve the required environmental legislation demands. For NorthStandard, Fuel Insights, powered by VPS will help ensure members and shipowners know what to look out for and subsequently enhance their ability to plan preventive maintenance.”

“Beyond mitigation, data could be invaluable to a claim or contract dispute,” added Gillespie. “For example, if substandard fuel was repeatedly linked to a single port, or if fuel issues on board had an onward impact of cargo delays. Shipowners and operators also need full transparency on fuel availability and quality, especially given the rapid rise of alternative fuels,” he said.

VPS controls shipping’s largest and most comprehensive marine fuel quality database, including the most extensive analysis of newer products, such as biofuels and methanol.

“Given that NorthStandard and VPS have the same forward-looking position on digitalisation, this partnership is a natural fit,” commented Bee. 

“Accurate monitoring and reporting also help reduce emissions and will improve vessel performance against carbon intensity indices to ensure owners are on the right side of history.”

 

Photo credit: NorthStandard
Published: 11 September, 2024

The Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) on Monday (15 July) published the NEN 7427-1 standard for residual marine fuels that use fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) as a blend component.

NEN said the NEN 7427-1 served as a springboard to facilitate and accelerate the introduction of biogenous products in the marine industry. 

“The standard should become complementary to ISO 8217 (the standard for marine fuel) so that it will not only be possible to blend in FAME of a quality in accordance with EN 14214 or ASTM D6751, but to blend in M-FAME (marine FAME) as well,” it said on its website.

“That is why NEN 7427-1 will soon be introduced within ISO and CEN, so that ISO 8217 may also enable M-FAME to be used in the future.”

NEN said the marine industry is facing a major challenge on its mission to increase its level of sustainability. 

International organisations have recently set emission reduction targets for the industry. 

These targets can partly be reached by using fuels from biogenous sources, such as FAME (methyl esters of fatty acids, a kind of biodiesel). FAME has been commonplace in transport by road for many years. The EN 14214 and the ASTM D6751 specification apply to this. 

They are also used for marine fuel (in accordance with the ISO 8217 specification), although they were not developed specifically for the marine industry, but for road transport. 

“Although biofuels have been used as blend components in the shipping industry for quite some time, there was no specific specification for this industry. The publication of the new NEN 7427-1 standard puts an end to this situation,” it said.

NEN 7427-1 was developed by a working group, consisting of Dutch and Belgian representatives of petroleum producers, biodiesel producers, shipping companies and other interested parties.

“The working group is currently also working on a standard for FAME distillation residues (the residual products of the FAME production process). This will be NEN 7427-2. This standard is expected to go through a public consultation round late this year or early next year,” it added.

 

Photo credit: william william on Unsplash
Published: 18 July 2024

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday (14 May) has dismissed contaminated bunker fuel as a cause behind Singapore-registered Dali crashing into Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, USA in its latest report. 

This was the latest finding of NTSB in its preliminary report, titled Contact of Containership Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and Subsequent Bridge Collapse, investigating the fatal incident.

The vessel struck the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on 26 March at about 1.30pm (Singapore Time), causing the bridge to collapse. 

Following the collision which killed six people, speculation was rife whether contaminated bunker fuel played a role in the containership losing power and crashing into the bridge. 

NTSB found that the ship used three main grades of bunker fuel for the main engine and electrical generators: low-sulphur marine gas oil (LSMGO), low-sulphur heavy fuel oil, and heavy fuel oil. 

Dali carried an estimated 1.8 million gallons of fuel in dedicated vessel fuel tanks. None of the vessel’s dedicated fuel tanks were damaged. 

The last time Dali crew switched fuel was on the evening of 21 March, five days before the accident, when they switched to burning LSMGO in all engines upon entering US territorial waters (12 miles off the Atlantic coast), as required by emission regulatory requirements.

The containership took on various amounts of all three types of fuel in Newark, New Jersey, on 19 March after the month-long trip from Sri Lanka. Fuel-sample analysis results indicated that the LSMGO fuel bunkered in Newark, which was the same type of fuel in use during the accident events, complied with international standards and regulations. 

According to the report, NTSB said: “The test results did not identify any concerns related to the quality of the fuel.”

On 28 March, the owner of the ship took samples of the LSMGO that was being burned at the time of the accident. At NTSB direction, the owner transferred the samples to an independent laboratory. 

“The test results did not identify any concerns related to the quality of the fuel,” it said.

On 11 April, additional fuel samples were taken from all fuel tanks and various fuel supply manifolds on board the vessel; samples were tested by an independent lab. 

“Fuel-sample analysis results indicated that the LSMGO fuel being burned at the time of the accident complied with international standards and regulations. The test results did not identify any concerns related to the quality of the fuel,” NTSB added. 

First series of blackouts when in port

Instead, NTSB found Dali experienced two electrical blackouts 10 hours before leaving Baltimore on 25 March during in-port maintenance. The first in-port blackout was caused by the mechanical blocking of the online generator’s exhaust gas stack. The second blackout in port was related to insufficient fuel pressure for the online generator. 

Second series of blackouts when leaving port

NTSB also found Dali experienced two electrical blackouts when it was leaving Port of Baltimore when electrical breakers that fed most of the vessel’s equipment and lighting unexpectedly tripped.

The NTSB is still investigating the electrical configuration following the first in-port blackout and potential impacts on the events during the accident voyage.

It also said it will continue evaluating the design and operation of Dali’s power distribution system including its breakers.

“NTSB is working with parties to immediately assess their bridges and determine whether pier protection needs to be improved,” it added.

Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Limited, the vessel’s owner, owns 55 ships—a mix of containerships including Dali, bulk carriers, and tankers. 

As of 26 March, Singapore-based Synergy Marine Group, the vessel manager who provided the crew and operated the vessel for the owner, managed 55 ships under Panama, Marshall Islands, Hong Kong, Liberia, and Singapore flags, including Dali.

Note: The full marine investigation preliminary report by NTSB titled ‘Contact of Containership Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and Subsequent Bridge Collapse’ can be found here. 

Related: Baltimore bridge crash: Safety investigation to include contaminated bunker fuel as possible cause
Related: Baltimore bridge collapse: FuelTrust highlights bunkering activities of Singapore-registered “Dali”
Related: MPA: Singapore-registered ship in Baltimore bridge crash passed previous foreign port state inspections

 

Photo credit: National Transportation Safety Board
Published: 15 May 2024