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CSI BUNKERING CHALLENGES 2021 WEBINAR
Industry experts gathered at a recent webinar organised by Clean Shipping International that examined the challenges currently facing the bunkering industry
PROS AND CONS OF LOW-SULPHUR FUEL Speaking during a recent webinar organised by Clean Shipping International, Sacha Cornell, Fleet Manager, Norbulk Shipping, revealed that using low-sulphur fuel can add as much as $20,000 to the operational expenditure for each ship per annum. He told the 100-plus participants that logged on to attend CSI Bunkering Challenges 2021: “I would guesstimate that the extra cost for additional sampling, on-board test kits, increased purifier maintenance, supply and installation of cermet piston rings, treatment chemicals, additional filtration equipment is in the region of between $10,000 and $20,000 per ship per annum.” He said there are numerous cases in which very low sulphur fuel delivered on board contains undesirable substances, resulting in problems relating to fuel stability, storage, handling treatment and processing on board. Citing one example, Cornell recalled a vessel receiving a batch of very low
sulphur fuel in Rotterdam. Ship and barge samples were taken and analysed, with the fuel recording a total sediment reading of point 7.075 — well within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) parameters. But after 24 hours’ use, the ship’s purifier and fuel system were blocked, requiring engineers to carry out repetitive cleaning of purifiers and sludge discharge piping every 24 hours. “Until the vessel had consumed all the bunkers, the crew had no option but to handle the problem on board, which is not a good situation for any engineer or shipowner to be in, especially when you are unable to make a claim against bunker supplier,” he said. Enhanced testing of the suspect bunker could not identify cause of operational problems and thus there was no basis for a claim against the supplier. Commenting on Cornell’s presentation, Kjeld Aabo, Director New Technologies, MAN Energy Solutions and Chairman CIMAC
C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Summer 2021
