Low sulphur fuels held in storage and used in the maritime world are still at risk from five key issues, which is further exacerbated due to the lockdowns and restricted trade leading to longer storage periods according to Aderco
Leading fuel treatment supplier Aderco has released a new report which highlights the five key issues that have been found in their research which are particularly detrimental to fuel held in storage tanks:
Aderco notes that the IMO low sulphur fuel cap introduced in January 2020 has not eradicated the potential threats from these five issues and this is becoming even more important with fuel that can degrade over long periods in storage.
The report has been released following a series of tests conducted in both Belgium and Singapore. These tests, carried out over the past few months on low sulphur fuels, have demonstrated that Aderco 2055G helps to reduce fuel incompatibility within storage tanks, preventing sludging and easing filtration, purification and injection.
The latest report demonstrates the overall benefits of using fuel treatment technology in these key issues of concern. Aderco chief executive Olivier Baiwir said, “The new low sulphur fuels are still prone to the five issues that can cause not only degradation but also the instability of stored fuel. The tests we have conducted with our own fuel treatments prove that the damaging issues of cat fines, sludge, corrosion, contamination and fuel stability can be reduced and eliminated with a fuel treatment.”
“Furthermore, we have found that reducing the sulphur content in ULSMGO fuels can see a marked increase in microbial growth that has the possibility to generate corrosive reactions. The use of biodiesel in the blending process can generate a high water content which is the ideal breeding ground for bacteria and this poses a real risk in stored fuel. However, by using a fuel treatment, this eradicates any biological damage,” he said.
Mr Baiwir continued, “Bulk fuels are at risk from oxidation, emulsions, bacterial and fungal infestations resulting in serious fuel instability and we know these issues have not disappeared with the introduction of the new blended fuels in 2020. By using a fuel treatment, any stored fuel can be treated for sludge which is one of the main causes of blocked filters and pipes resulting in unpumpable sludge at the bottom of storage tanks.”
Regarding sludging, Aderco managing director Rebecca Farrall said in a recent Tanker Shipping & Trade article on fuels and lubricants, “Tanker operators should consider carrying out additional fuel screening, such as GC-MS analysis, to check for chemical contamination and wax appearance temperature and wax disappearance temperature tests. These allow operators to manage storage and purification and minimise the risk of undesirable waxing/sludging problems,” said Ms Farrall.
The new guide - VLSFO Fuel Guide: How Aderco 2055G improves the five key fuel oil issues - is available now from Riviera’s Whitepapers library.
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