An industry survey into the transition to using compliant low-sulphur fuel oil since the beginning of 2020 shows that the switch hasn’t been completely pain-free for shipowners as fluctuating fuel oil properties lead to a myriad of issues.
The survey focuses on issues such as increased sludge discharge, clogging of fuel pipes, preheaters, fuel separators and fuel filters, fuel pumps getting stuck, problems with fuel injection and poor ignition of fuel oil.
It also covers other issues regarding incomplete combustion, wax appearance and increased wear and tear of cylinder liners. These are problems that may lead to a loss of propulsion and/or black out.
The survey was carried out by BIMCO, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO from February 24 to May 6, 2020.
It targeted at shore-based personnel not the ships’ crews. Consequently, the three most frequent respondents were from technical departments (52.6%), operational functions, such as fleet and vessel management (21.9%), and bunker departments (8.3%). The dataset being analysed is based on 192 responses.
“The survey gives us valuable insight into the magnitude and nature of problems encountered by the industry in the transition to using low-sulphur fuel oil. The industry had widespread experience with how to manage heavy fuel oil, and the survey provides insight into which parameters of the new fuel types are posing the biggest challenges for onboard fuel management,” says Christian Bækmark Schiolborg , Manager, Marine Environment at BIMCO.
The survey indicates global challenges with fuel characteristics and limits being off specifications most frequently when it comes to total sediment, aluminium plus silicon, pour point, ash, flash point, acid number and viscosity.
It also indicates that most common operational problems experienced are increased sludge deposits and wax appearance after switching to the compliant fuel oils with a sulphur content not exceeding 0.50%.
Lastly, the survey shows that when commercial fuel oil samples are tested after bunkering, sulphur content is among the most frequent parameters to be indicated as off specifications and consequently, an indication of potential non-compliance with MARPOL annex VI.
Key findings: