Problems in Implementing Low Sulphur Fuel Management

International Maritime Organization (IMO) has reduced the cap on Sulphur in fuel from 3.5% to 0.5% from 1st January 2021.

As a consequence of this new regulation a wide ranging issues have been faced by the ship operators.
It is a source of considerable debate whether the ship operators will continue to use high Sulphur fuel and install exhaust gas scrubbers or switch to use low Sulphur fuel oil or liquid natural gas. Each scenario has its associated issues including implementing and running costs so it is unlikely that there will be a definite answer to the issues. But whatever be the outcome, significant disruption is seen happening in the oil market.

Implementation of Low Sulphur fuel brings with it a number of potential operating problems due to their fundamentally different physical properties .Here is where fuel additives may have a significant role to play in easing the issues in switching from a high Sulphur fuel to a low Sulphur fuel.

One problem with low Sulphur fuels is that they have a high pour point .This means that wax can solidify in fuels if stored below pour point temperature, potentially causing operational issues .Here the use of bunker fuel additives can substantially depress pour point allowing lower value streams to be used. By reducing the temperature at which wax forms fuels have a wider temperature range. The additional flexibility in flow properties could be crucial to a vessel’s ability to operate particularly in cases where fuel storage tanks may be situated close to or next to the ship’s hull and when low external temperature might have an effect on the fuel.
Another potential problem is that of lubricity. The use of low Sulphur distillate and heavy fuels which have a lower natural lubricity than high Sulphur fuels may have the potential to cause increased wear. The way to overcome this is by adding lubricity additives which have been time proven over a long period of time.

The problems faced by ships due to VLSFO fuel are increased sludge discharge from ship’s separators, increased deposits in ship’s fuel oil system, wear and tear of cylinder liners, piston rings and other components due to excess catalytic fines in the fuel .Other problems faced are poor ignition, incomplete combustion of fuel, fuel pump seizures resulting in loss of propulsion or blackout. Cermet coated piston rings have been recommended in MAN B&W engines for operation on Low Sulphur Fuels to reduce the wear.

Constellation Marine Services LLC survey team is well experienced in handling problems related to low Sulphur fuels in testing and sampling of bunker fuels , comingling issues or other issues experienced by the industry with regard to usage of VLSFO .

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