Japanese shipyard Oshima Shipbuilding and several industry partners, are testing a new self-developed bunker fuel that is able to meet the upcoming 0.5% sulphur cap by 2020, says classification society DNV GL.
The product, called Super Eco Fuel, is a blend between LCO (lightcycle oil, a secondary refinery product) with GTL (gas-to-liquid, a liquid fuel made from natural gas) and water.
The result is a fuel that requires no installation of new equipment while meeting nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulphur oxide (SOx) limits.
According to DNV GL, LCO has a low sulphur content but poor ignition performance while GTL contains almost no sulphur or other impurities and features high ignition performance and a complete combustion process.
The two products, when mixed in the right quantities, will produce a fuel that is able to meet the 2020 0.5% global sulphur cap.
The addition of water into the mixture will result in a fuel that meets both the 0.1% emission control area (ECA) sulphur limit and NOx Tier III compliance standard.
Specific fuel oil consumption of the new product is slightly lower, with reduced CO2 emissions and soot formation.
“LCO and GTL can be stored separately in the normal fuel tanks. In addition, the fuel can be used in existing engines without modifications, making it relevant for retrofitting to existing ships. The fuel is mixed on board by a mixing unit,” says DNV GL.
“Preliminary tests of the fuel characteristics, engine performance and reliability have yielded satisfactory results. Further tests are planned.
“The largest challenges are the supply and bunkering of the individual fuel components, which must be addressed before the fuel will be accepted and used widely.
“Similar to other fuels there are uncertainties with price fluctuations over time. The cost of the new fuel mix is expected to be higher than standard HFO at current rates but lower than for other LSFO options, making it an attractive potential fuel alternative with marginal additional investment costs.”
Photo credit: DNV GL
Published: 7 March, 2018
Stakeholders are now designing the technology integration for the first facility, in Sweden and expects to be supplying eMethanol as a marine and road fuel from 2023.
‘The current FuelEU proposal does not address the responsibilities of the fuel suppliers and how cleaner and safe fuels will become available in Europe,’ said ECSA Secretary-General.
‘Contract marks our breakthrough in Asia and is a key milestone that strengthens our position internationally,” says Zinus CEO Endre Eidsvik.
JV will use methanol as a marine fuel to power both IMOIIMAX MR tankers chartered by Proman Shipping.
Project covered simulation and modelling of carbon footprints of a VLCC incorporating energy efficiency technologies, LNG bunkering and smart technologies.
Poll shows market participants think Singapore’s future as a bunkering hub in the near term will be impacted most by growth in alternative bunker fuels and intensifying competition from other ports in Asia.
Octamar™ Ultra HF, Octamar™ Complete, and Octamar™ F35C were found to have improved the fuel economy while reducing exhaust gas and other emissions of marine engines in a series of trials, states report.
Disposal of evidence has resulted in Singapore not being able to provide full details to the United Nationals Panel of Experts which sought information regarding the case, says Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
‘We are proud to be amongst the first to show the successful steps taken by Singapore’s bunkering ecosystem to remain forward thinking and relevant,’ Choong Sheen Mao, Director of EMF, tells Manifold Times.
‘With the launch of a common data infrastructure, Kenoil aims to continue achieving an end to end visibility and transparency on the bunker data supply chain,’ states Kenoil Managing Director.
Digitalization can help shipping achieve its decarbonization goals but only if human factors are considered enough when introducing smarter maritime operations with ‘user-friendly’ technology.
Anand S/O Omprekas, Noruliman Bin Bakti, and Muhammad Khairul Asri Bin Mohamad Hanafiah were tasked to verify the quantity of cargo supplied to vessels by Shell Eastern Petroleum Private Limited.
