Finnish wind propulsion systems provider Norsepower on Tuesday (15 April) said it has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with China’s COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Equipment (Nantong) (CHIC) to accelerate the serial production, sales, installation, and service of Norsepower Rotor Sails™ in the region.

The partnership builds on the Norsepower Rotor Sail™ Factory in Dafeng, China, launched in November last year. Norsepower said this is the 'world’s first' factory specialising in rotor sail manufacturing, which guarantees the needed capacity in serial production of Norsepower’s products. 

“Combined with this factory and Norsepower’s exclusive production hub in Poland, the new cooperation with CHIC strengthens the company’s ability to meet growing global demand,” the company said in a statement. 

By leveraging CHIC’s extensive resources in shipbuilding and offshore equipment, the collaboration will drive innovation in wind propulsion and further integrate Norsepower Rotor Sails™ into the regional market. The partnership aims to provide shipping companies with practical, cost-effective solutions to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in line with tightening IMO regulations.

Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower, said: “This agreement marks a significant step forward in expanding access to wind propulsion solutions in China. By combining Norsepower’s technology leadership with CHIC’s shipbuilding expertise, we are creating a strong foundation for advancing sustainable shipping.”

“We will achieve breakthroughs in both product supply efficiency and application expansion. We look forward to building on this collaboration and exploring further opportunities together.”

Zhang Jianxin, Deputy General Manager of CHIC, said: “We are excited to partner with Norsepower to advance wind propulsion technology. This cooperation will enhance innovation across product design, manufacturing, and business development, ensuring we deliver high-quality, energy-efficient solutions for the shipping industry.”

With increasing regulatory pressure to decarbonise shipping, Norsepower’s partnership with CHIC underscores the growing momentum behind wind propulsion. By combining expertise and resources, both companies are committed to accelerating the adoption of sustainable products and supporting the industry’s transition to a low-carbon future.

Photo credit: Norsepower
Published: 16 April, 2025

Steve Bee, Group Marketing and Strategic Projects Director of marine fuels testing company VPS, on Monday (14 April) explored how Fuel System Check Monitoring can play a vital role in protecting a vessel’s engine as engine damage can be a very costly risk for vessel operators:

Statistically, data indicates that a vessel will suffer between one and two incidences of main engine damage over the course of its operational lifetime. The average damage costs have been estimated at around $650,000 per incident, with even more damaging incidents costing up to $1.2 million per claim. Therefore, it is important to identify the main causes of this damage and understand how it can be prevented.

Prevention of damage is, of course, preferable to cure. Fuel quality and handling issues remain a leading contributor to critical main engine failures. VPS frequently observe that such issues could have been prevented through the implementation of a robust and well-structured fuel management programme onboard vessels.

A common misconception is that a fuel meeting the international marine fuel quality standard, ISO 8217, means it is “fit for purpose”. But this is definitely not the case as even fuels that are “on specification”, at the point of delivery to the vessel, can cause major engine damage if not properly managed post-delivery. ISO 8217 specifies the requirements for petroleum fuels for use in marine diesel engines and boilers, prior to appropriate treatment before use, which means that fuels should then be treated onboard between delivery and being burnt

Catalysts used in petroleum refining are made of Aluminium Silicates, which over time breakdown. The resulting, coarse, dense fragments composing of aluminium and silicon, eventually reside in the residual portion of the refining stream. Known as “Cat-Fines”, these particles are highly abrasive and can cause severe damage to vessel engine parts.

Major marine engine manufacturers recommend a fuel should contain less than 10-15 mg/kg Aluminium plus Silicon (Al+Si) at the engine inlet. However, assuming a delivered fuel meets the stringent ISO8217:2024 limits of 40-60 mg/kg Al+Si, dependent upon the fuel grade, the fuel treatment plant would have to operate at an efficiency level capable of removing 75%-83% of these highly abrasive particles in order to meet the engine manufacturers’ requirements.

Furthermore, the International Council on Combustion Engines' (CIMAC’s) recommendation regarding fuel quality states “Fuel analysis is the only way to monitor the quality of fuel as delivered at the time and place of custody transfer, before and after the fuel cleaning onboard and at the engine inlet. Regular monitoring of the fuel cleaning plant will provide information, which will help to make decisions about the maintenance cycles of the equipment as well as potential engine problems resulting from malfunctioning or inadequate operation.”

Yet one of the most important, but often overlooked processes, is that of regular Fuel System Checks (FSCs) in order to assess the level of aluminium and silicon catalytic fines within fuel. The presence of “cat-fines” within fuel can be extremely damaging, causing rapid engine-part wear. Monitoring cat-fine levels before they can enter vessel engines, can prevent such damage. Therefore, sending samples for analysis which are taken Before & After purification processes, on a quarterly basis is the most effective way to monitor cat-fine levels. FSCs will also help comply to the engine manufacturers general recommendation of a maximum of 10-15 mg/Kg level of cat-fines in the fuel, entering the engines and assess purifier efficiency.

There are numerous reasons why regular fuel system checks are critical:

• Help identify potential risks & operational issues before major damage occurs.
• Confirm that the system’s flow rate, temperatures, discharge cycles are properly adjusted to handle the specific fuel that is being treated
• Verify that the fuel treatment system is properly maintained
• Reduce operating cost and increase lifecycles of critical components
• Identify presence of unusual components that can enter fuel post- delivery.

Periodic sampling from the fuel treatment system will also identify problems such as water ingress from ballast systems, leaking heating coils and cargo contamination. The last thing anyone wants to see is a purifier working as a pump!

A prime example and case study is highlighted below:

An LPG Tanker bunkered HSFO in Fujairah where its fuel met ISO 8217 specifications. However, after using the bunkered fuel, the Chief Engineer reported the main engine expansion tank low level alarm, with the main engine exhaust gas temperature high on cylinder unit 2 & 4. The vessel commenced a gradual slowdown of the main engine. The Chief Engineer reported the vessel was unable to run the engine due to suspected leaks on the main engine cylinders. The vessel drifted for about 10 hours before dropping anchor off the coast of India.

Upon dismantling the engine, the following findings were made:

The VPS Technical Advisor recommended the vessel submit fuel system samples and upon checking, the results from the system, these indicated that the purifier was in fact only working like a pump.

The screening size of Al+Si on the before engine sample further confirmed why the vessel was having problems, as the physical size of Al+Si particles ranged: 5-45 µm.

The ideal particle size range of cat-fines that can be effectively removed by a marine vessel's purifier system typically falls between 5 to 15 µm. Purifiers are designed to target these smaller particles, as they are the most common size found in heavy fuel oil and can cause significant wear and damage to engine components

If the particle size of catalytic fines is greater than 15 µm, it can pose significant risks to marine engines. Larger particles are more abrasive and can cause severe wear and damage to critical engine components such as cylinder liners, piston rings, and fuel injectors.

Note: The full article by VPS can be found here. 

Photo credit: VPS
Published: 15 April, 2025

Ofiniti, a provider of digital solutions for maritime bunker operations, on Friday (11 April) welcomed bunkering and marine fuel solutions provider Global Fuel Supply (GFS) to its FuelBoss platform as one of its newest customers.

With the recent deployment of its new barge in West Africa, GFS is set to become one of the first to offer fully digitalised bunker operations in the region - raising the bar for operational efficiency, transparency, and traceability.

In a social media post, GFS said it was proud to be the first physical supplier in West Africa to launch fully digitalised bunker operations with electronic bunker delivery note (e-BDN) via the FuelBoss platform. 

“We are excited to bring digital innovation to our West Africa operations with Ofiniti. This marks a key milestone in our commitment to delivering smarter, faster, and more transparent services to our customers,” said Lamin Bara, Chief Commercial Officer, GFS.

“Global Fuel Supply joining Ofiniti is a great testament to how technology can play a part in enabling expansion into new markets. At Ofiniti, we are confident that the FuelBoss platform can offer increased value for suppliers anywhere in the world,” said Oliver Brix Sparsø, Global Director of Sales, Ofiniti.

Manifold Times previously reported GFS announcing its expansion in West Africa with the launch of its first physical supply operation.

The company’s newly chartered 5,498 dwt bunker tanker, M/V Rlo Explorer, will be stationed at Luanda anchorage in Angola. 

In February, Ofiniti announced it was whitelisted by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore for the implementation of electronic bunker delivery note (e-BDN) in the republic.

Related: Global Fuel Supply launches physical bunker fuel supply operation in West Africa
Related: Singapore: FuelBoss by Ofiniti becomes sixth whitelisted e-BDN solution

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 14 April, 2025