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Innospec Fuel Specialties technical bulletin: Considerations when heating VLSFO and Case Studies

Heating VLSFOs to prevent cold flow issues causes issues related to distillate ageing, and there is a gentle balance to be maintained when handling the product.

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Considerations when heating VLSFO and Case Studies

Colorado-based global specialty chemicals company Innospec Fuel Specialties in December published a technical bulletin entitled Cold Flow – A Point on Pour Point. The document has been shared with Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

Considerations when heating VLSFO

Heating VLSFO to prevent cold flow issues will cause unintentional issues related to distillate ageing i.e. the rapid change in fuel quality due to chemical reactions in the lighter fractions of the fuel.

A study into the storage stability of VLSFO from global ports shows how the sediment present in VLSFO increases over time when a fuel is stored at slightly elevated temperatures (50°C).  The Total Sediment Existent (TSE) increases with time across most fuels, and rapidly increases in most cases to exceed the ISO 8217 limits within weeks.

Article 2 Image 01

The increased sedimentation would manifest as excessive sludge, filter blocking and centrifugal purifier maintenance. However, these are only symptoms of ageing and other issues besides might be expected, such as reduced fuel efficiency, poor combustion and contamination of future bunkers.

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There is clearly a gentle balance to be maintained when handling VLSFO that did not previously exist when using HSFO. If temperatures are too low there is the risk of cold flow issues, poor separation efficiently etc. Too high and fuel will age, leading to excess sludge and deposits. Diligent monitoring and housekeeping practices are one of the best ways to combat this, ensuring that storage temperatures are maintained high enough to prevent wax but not so high that the ageing process is unduly accelerated.

At this time there is little information on how low is too low, or how high is too high. Chemical treatments are available that retard the chemical ageing process and mitigate against the consequences of aged fuel.

Case Story 1: Wax sludge experienced in cold climate

4 Layers in storage
Example of solid wax deposits on tank bottoms

Bunker Grade, Quantity: VLSFO IFO380, 2000MT
ISO 8217: Met
Viscosity, Pour Point: 28cSt, 6°C
WAT, WDT: Not tested

Issue: Sludge clogging backwash filters and overloading purifier. Heavy sludge left behind at bottom of bunker tank unable to be dissolved.

It was during the winter season and the container ship was transiting through a cold climate region. There was no issue faced when the first 200MT of fuel was consumed but soon after, the vessel started to experience sludge issues. Some fluctuation was also observed at the viscometer.

Why did this happen? Where heating is insufficient, especially when the vessel transits through cold climates, the fuel can separate into layers. Initially, lighter components will enter the fuel system and leaves behind the heavier components. Even with the highest possible temperature that can be achieved in bunker tanks, the sludge that remains at the bottom of the tank will not dissolve.

Case Story 2: Wax sludge experienced with on spec pour point fuel, WAT/WDT unknown

Picture2

Port: South Korea
Bunker Grade, Quantity: VLSFO IFO380, 400MT
ISO 8217: Met
Viscosity, Pour Point: 33cSt, 15°C
WAT, WDT: Not tested
Issue: High generation of sludge overloading the purifier.

In this case, the sludge appeared to have both the consistency of waxes and asphaltene sludge. Hence, to eliminate the possibilities, the vessel carried out a trial and error at the purifier by increasing the separation temperature in steps of 5 °C from the recommended separation temperature which was 60 °C. When the separation temperature was maintained at 75 °C, the sludge generated was observed to be minimal and therefore, the sludge is likely waxes.

Sometimes, purifying at the recommended temperature is insufficient when the fuel has a higher risk of experiencing cold flow issues. At any point of time, if the temperature falls below WAT, wax crystals will form and they can only be dissolved by increasing the heating temperature to above WDT.

However, excessive heating either by high temperature or long-term heating can accelerate the distillate ageing process. Hence, correct heating must be applied.

Case Story 3: Wax sludge experienced with low pour point fuel, high WAT/WDT

5
Waxy fuel blocking centrifugal purifier drains

Port: Singapore
Bunker Grade, Quantity: VLSFO IFO380, 800MT
ISO 8217: Met
Viscosity, Pour Point: 57cSt, 3°C
WAT, WDT: 74 °C, >75 °C
Issue: High generation of sludge overloading the purifier

The vessel suspected waxes due to the softer appearance of sludge that was clogging the purifier and hence, requested for the fuel lab to carry out WAT, WDT testing with the fuel. From the results, it is likely that waxes have formed in the bunker tank as the fuel’s temperature at storage fell below its’ WAT result. In an attempt to dissolve the waxes before consuming the fuel, the vessel increased the storage temperature to as close to WDT as possible, managing to achieve only 50 °C inside the bunker tanks. The sludge issue did improve for the next 48hrs before it took a turn and worsened.

Why did this happen? This is an example where issues and solutions overlap. In this case, the temperatures required to dissolve the waxes (WDT) were extremely high which brought a new problem into the equation- an irreversible distillate ageing process through thermal instability. In addition, distillate sludge can similarly clog filters and purifiers.

The fuel’s resistance to oxidation and thermal instability can be improved significantly with the help of fuel additives. However, if the distillate ageing process has already started then it cannot be reversed. Its’ effectiveness will only be to stabilise the fuel and the chances is dependent on the extent the fuel has aged. Hence, pre-combustion additives are always recommended to be dosed at an early stage- into the storage tanks before bunkering.

Please contact your local sales representative for more information. Email:

For Technical support or questions please email:

Find out more about Innospec Fuel Specialties’ series of OctamarTM products here.

Photo credit: Innospec Fuel Specialties
Published: 12 January, 2022

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Research

Yamna identifies five potential global ammonia bunkering hubs

Unlike methanol, ammonia is not constrained by biogenic CO2 availability, and its production process is relatively simple.

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Yanma projected ammonia bunkering hubs

Specialised green hydrogen and derivatives platform Yamna in early December identified several potential ammonia bunkering hubs around the world.

The hubs are Port of Rotterdam, Port of Algeciras, Suez Canal, Jurong Port, and Port of Salalah.

“The shipping industry faces an ambitious challenge: reducing emissions by 20% by 2030 (compared to 2008 levels) and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, in alignment with IMO targets,” it stated.

“Achieving these goals in the medium to long term depends on the adoption of alternative low-emission fuels like green ammonia and methanol.

“Among these, ammonia is attracting growing interest as a viable option. Unlike methanol, it is not constrained by biogenic CO2 availability, and its production process is relatively simple.”

However, the firm noted kickstarting ammonia bunkering on a large scale required four enablers to align:

  • Ammonia fuel supply
  • Application technology
  • Bunkering infrastructure
  • Safety guidelines and standards

It believed ammonia bunkering hubs will first emerge where affordable and scalable ammonia supply is available.

Yanma Why use ammonia for bunkering fuel

 

Photo credit: Yanma
Published: 31 December 2024

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Research

Port of Long Beach releases Clean Marine Fuels White Paper

Document intended to prepare and position the port and its stakeholder for adopting low carbon alternative fuels.

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Clean Marine Fuels Port of Long Beach (December 2024)

The Port of Long Beach (PLB) in late December released the Clean Marine Fuels White Paper as part of efforts to identify solutions capable of reducing emissions from ships.

“To understand the opportunities and challenges related to the adoption of clean marine fuels, the Port of Long Beach hired ICF Consulting to develop this white paper as an educational resource and guidance document,” stated PLB

“This document is also intended to prepare and position the port and its stakeholder for adopting low carbon alternative fuels.

“The white paper provides high level information on the array of currently available low carbon marine fuels, along with an exploration of the potential infrastructure needs for their deployment.”

The document covers the use of different types of clean bunker fuels such as green hydrogen, green methanol, green ammonia, renewable LNG and biofuels for shipping.

“The shift to clean marine fuels is no longer optional but a necessity for the sustainability of the maritime industry,” stated PLB in its closing remarks.

“This transition, while presenting challenges such as high costs, limited fuel availability, and the need for extensive infrastructure development, is advancing due to evolving policy frameworks and growing industry commitment.

“Addressing these obstacles will require targeted initiatives and robust collaboration between public and private sectors. Continued policy support, government funding, and sustained industry commitment will be essential to driving this progress and ensuring the long-term sustainability of maritime operations.”

Editor’s note: The 123-page Clean Marine Fuels White Paper may be downloaded from the hyperlink here.

 

Photo credit: Clean Marine Fuels White Paper
Published: 26 December 2024

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Port & Regulatory

Clyde & Co: FuelEU Maritime Series – Part 6: Legal issues

Bunker purchasers should consider the wording of their bunker supply contracts carefully and ensure that they are comfortable with the contractual provisions.

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CHUTTERSNAP MT

Global law firm Clyde & Co on Thursday (19 December) released the final instalment of its six-part series uncovering the FuelEU Maritime Regulation.

In it, the firm looked at the legal issues that could potentially arise between various parties, such as owners, charterers, ship managers, bunker suppliers, and ship builders, as a result of the compliance requirements imposed by the Regulation.

The following is an excerpt from the original article available here:

Bunker supply contracts - legal issues

Both vessel owners and bunker purchasers will want to ensure that they are able to take advantage of the preferential treatment provided under the FuelEU Regulation for consuming renewable fuels, including biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) (such as methanol and ammonia).

Article 10 of the FuelEU Regulation states that such fuels must be certified in accordance with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) 2018/2001. If the fuel consumed by the vessel does not meet the applicable standards or have the appropriate certification, then it “shall be considered to have the same emissions factors as the least favourable fossil fuel pathway for that type of fuel[1].

In order to confirm that the fuel complies with greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity and sustainability requirements, the vessel owner and bunker purchaser will want to ensure that the bunker supplier provides the appropriate certification required under the FuelEU Regulation. The EU has required certification of such fuels, with the aim of guaranteeing “the environmental integrity of the renewable and low-carbon fuels that are expected to be deployed in the maritime sector.”[2]

The FuelEU Regulation provides that the GHG intensity of fuel is to be assessed on a “well-to-wake” basis, with emissions calculated for the entire lifespan of the fuel, from raw material extraction to storage, bunkering and then use on board the vessel.

Vessel owners and bunker purchasers will, therefore, need to be mindful of the importance of establishing how “green” the fuel actually is, and of the risk of bunker suppliers providing alternative fuels that will not allow for preferential treatment under the FuelEU Regulation.

It would, therefore, be advisable for bunker purchasers to consider whether the wording of their bunkering supply contracts is sufficient to ensure that the fuel is properly certified under the FuelEU Regulation. This could include contractual provisions that require the supplier (i) to provide a bunker delivery note (BDN), setting out the relevant information regarding the supply (such as the well-to-wake emission factor), and (ii) to provide the necessary certification under a scheme recognised by the EU.

Bunker purchasers should also be mindful that bunkering supply contracts often contain short claims notification time bars and provisions restricting claims for consequential loss. Issues could therefore arise where a purchaser tries to advance a claim against the supplier for consequential loss due to a lack of certification, but the bunker supplier argues that such losses are excluded under the terms of the bunker supply contract.

Bunker purchasers should therefore consider the wording of their bunker supply contracts carefully and ensure that they are comfortable with the contractual provisions.

 

Photo credit: CHUTTERSNAP from Unsplash
Published: 26 December 2024

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