In an interview with Singapore-based bunkering publication Manifold Times, Max Fok, China & Singapore Marine Sales Manager and Market Specialist, explains how the use of marine fuel additives offer low-hanging fruit solutions for shipowners sailing towards maritime decarbonisation:

MT: Innospec recently released its Q1-25 Sustainability Newsletter, highlighting that 20,000,000 metric tonnes (mt) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions were avoided through the use of their fuel additives in 2024. Could you elaborate on this achievement?

Absolutely. By applying conservative estimates for fuel economy improvements ranging from  2.4 to 4.8%, depending on the type of fuel being treated, our analysis shows an avoidance of over 20,000,000 mt of CO2 for our customers in 2024. This figure is more than 200 times our total annual emissions from our site operations and is equivalent to taking 4.5 million gasoline-powered cars off the road for a year or the carbon sequestration achieved by 340 million tree seedlings over a decade. This highlights the vital role of chemical innovation in helping us utilise natural resources more efficiently while minimising our environmental impact.

MT: That’s impressive. How many shipping companies have benefited from using Innospec’s Octamar Technologies?

Today, over 50 shipping companies have benefited from using Innospec™ Octamar Technologies helping to reduce CO₂ emissions and supporting shipping decarbonisation. In 2024, we successfully treated 4.8 million mt of marine fuels.

MT: There are some misconceptions about the role of additives as Energy Saving Devices (ESD). Can you address these misconceptions and explain how additives should be used correctly?

The misconception in the industry is that additives are only used for troubleshooting. However, fuel management involves ensuring fuel stability and compatibility, preventing fuel degradation, and ensuring proper engine reliability.

Performance applications of additives are widely used outside of marine applications, such as in the automotive industry, where premium-grade petrol is used for fleet performance, reducing consumption and emissions.

Fuel additives can improve engine efficiency on board vessels as an Energy Efficiency Technology Solution, reducing fuel usage, emissions, and costs. Compared to other ESD solutions, additives are the easiest to implement while operating the vessel and complying with stringent regulations.

MT: Is there a return on investment for using additives on a vessel? How can Innospec prove their product works, and can the product be trialled by owners before full commitment?

Innospec has proven the effectiveness of our marine additive’s technology. We are the only additives company in the marine industry with an Innovation Endorsement Certificate awarded by ClassNK in 2022, stating 2.1%-3.9% fuel savings.

Compared to other ESDs, the return on investment is immediate. It is one of the low-hanging fruit solutions in the market. We always welcome owners to trial our product before full commitment. With today’s measurement technologies, it is possible. We have supported various owners and proven the effectiveness since 1997. Moreover, additives are the only ESD that you can monitor as many times as you want.

MT: Do most shipowners use additives in their operations? If not, why? What are the challenges of adopting additives in shipowners’ operations, and how can they overcome them?

Marine additives have gained significant attention since the implementation of the IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap Regulation, as they have proven effective in addressing tank cleaning and VLSFO fuel issues. Most shipowners now include additives as part of their fuel management policy for treating bunker fuel. The challenge lies in who should bear the cost of these additives. Many shipowners tend to push this cost to charterers because it’s the charterers who pay for the fuel. However, this viewpoint is slowly changing due to regulatory requirements. For shipowners, it’s about compliance and machinery reliability, while for charterers, the emphasis is on achieving  fuel savings. Ultimately, the advantages of using fuel additives benefits both parties.

MT: How can additives help shipowners meet regulatory requirements? Are there any case studies or examples you can share?

Innospec has many case studies showing average fuel efficiency savings of 2%-4%. In addition to the CO₂ emission reduction associated with fuel savings, which help to avoid penalties such as those under FuelEU Maritime regulation, these savings also improve the CII rating of a vessel which supports the vessel’s journey towards the future IMO Net-zero Framework. With rising fuel prices, these savings could grow significantly. In an era of new bunker fuels, such as biofuels, the same efficiency gains could also cut costs of new bunker fuel usage, and provide additional savings from reduced emissions costs. This strengthens the business case for using additives as ESDs while also improving the economics of low-carbon fuels by lowering overall operational expenses.

MT: Finally, some people believe that additives are too expensive to use regularly on vessels due to the high cost. What would you say to them?

That is a misconception in the industry. As the popularity of additives has grown, many  companies have entered the market, making promises on high fuel savings of up to 10%-20%, but with very-high treat rates and costs. However, in this scenario  the so-called ‘additive’ can no longer be named ‘an additive’ but rather a blending component for the fuel.

Can you imagine adding 6,000 litres of chemical into 6,000 mt of bunker fuel? It would be a nightmare to the crew(!).

At Innospec, our technology treat rate is only between 167 to 333ppm, which is a very small dose rate. To put that into context just 1,000 litres of our additive is sufficient to treat 6,000 mt of fuel.

Max Fok’s contact details are as follows:

Max Fok
Area Sales Manager
Innospec Limited Branch Office Singapore
47 Scotts Road, #06-01 Goldbell Towers,
Singapore 228233
E-mail:  [email protected]

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 5 June, 2025

United European Car Carriers (UECC) on Monday (19 May) said bunkering liquefied biomethane (LBM), also known as bio-LNG, will give it a significant compliance surplus under FuelEU that can be monetised through the regulation’s pooling mechanism.

UECC’s Senior Manager of Business Planning & Sustainability, Masanori Nagashima, said bio-LNG is now seen by the company as the key fuel to achieve its target of a 45% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 versus a 2014 baseline and net zero by 2040 – ahead of the 2050 deadline set by both the IMO and EU.

The marine fuel is being bunkered on UECC’s dual and multi-fuel LNG PCTCs – three of which have battery hybrid capability – under Sail for Change that was launched by UECC last year and currently has participation by automotive giants including Toyota, Ford and JLR. 

The company also has on order two multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid newbuild PCTCs due for delivery in 2028 that could be enlisted into the programme. 

The overall carbon intensity of the UECC fleet, using the same gCO2e/MJ (grams of CO2 equivalent per megajoule) metric as FuelEU, is calculated at 68 gCO2e/MJ to achieve an interim target of a 25% carbon intensity reduction in 2025, though the company is expected to achieve 57 gCO2e/MJ this year based on its supply plan, according to Nagashima.

This is significantly below the current FuelEU threshold of 89.3 gCO2e/MJ – a 2% reduction from the baseline of 91.16 gCO2e/MJ – and still lower than the threshold of 77.9 gCO2e/MJ from 2035 that is a 14.5% reduction versus the baseline figure.

“The low carbon intensity of our fleet means all of our vessels are expected to gain a C rating or above with the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII)” Nagashima explained.

“It also gives us a significant compliance surplus under FuelEU that can be monetised through the regulation’s pooling mechanism, allowing a great commercial opportunity to offset regulatory costs for customers and eliminate FuelEU surcharges.”

“UECC will continue to accelerate its progress in improving decarbonisation of its fleet by further optimising our fuel mix strategy going forward to incorporate more high-impact fuels as these become viable.”

Photo credit: Titan Clean Fuels
Published: 22 May, 2025

ship.energy on Wednesday (21 May) announced that its 2025 summit is set to take place at the Port of Barcelona from 10 to 11 June, uniting key players across the energy, port, and technology sectors to address one of the most critical barriers to maritime decarbonisation: the ‘last mile delivery’ of low-carbon marine fuels.

With European and international regulatory pressure mounting – including the rollout of FuelEU Maritime, the EU Emissions Trading System, and expected new IMO fuel standards – the industry is being pushed harder than ever to cut greenhouse gas emissions or face increasing penalties.

However, regulations alone cannot drive meaningful change. The summit’s central theme, Going the last mile: Uniting energy, port and technology stakeholders to deliver shipping’s energy transition, will explore how different sectors must collaborate to ensure that alternative fuels reach vessels when and where they are needed.

Attendees can expect insight-rich sessions covering:

• The role of ports – from major bunkering hubs to smaller regional ports – in enabling fuel infrastructure and supporting first movers.
• Progress and bottlenecks in fuel supply chains.
• How shipping can strengthen demand signals to energy providers, shipbuilders and financiers.
• The latest technological innovations supporting the last mile – both shipboard and shoreside.

Real-world case studies and a focus on Iberian-led initiatives will anchor discussions in practical examples, underscoring the region’s role in advancing maritime decarbonisation.

Note: More information and registration can be found here.

Photo credit: ship.energy
Published: 22 May, 2025