ASTM INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR
ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
DECEMBER 9, 2009
MARINE FUEL
STANDARDS
JOE ANGELO
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR
INTERTANKO
INTERTANKO is the International
Association of Independent Tanker
Owner representing more than 80% of
the world’s independent tanker owners
Our Members primary goal is to lead
the continuous improvement of the
tanker industry’s performance in
striving to achieve the goals of:
- Zero fatalities
- Zero pollution
- Zero detentions
FUEL STANDARD ISSUES
• Fuel quality
• Fuel lubricity
• Fuel viscosity
• Fuel switching
PROPOSAL TO IMO
In 2006 INTERTANKO submitted a
proposal to IMO to reduce air
emissions from ships
• Ships should use distillate fuels with
a sulphur cap of 1% (later to 0.5%)
• To ensure fuel quality, the fuel
should comply with a fuel
specification based upon the ISO
8217 standard
OUTCOME
IMO adopts amendments to Annex VI
(entry into force on July 1, 2010)
• Jan 2012 – fuel with sulphur content of 3.5%
max worldwide outside ECA
(Jan 2020 – 0.5% max)
• July 2010 - fuel with sulphur content of 1%
max in ECA (July 2015 – 0.1% max)
IMO requests ISO to review the marine
fuel specifications
ISO conducting review of ISO 8217 Specifications of marine fuels
FUEL QUALITY
Annex VI, Reg 18 - Fuel Oil Quality
• Fuel oil shall be free from inorganic acid
• Fuel oil should not include any substance or
chemical waste which:
- jeopardizes ship safety or adversely
affects machinery performance
- is harmful to personnel
- contributes to additional air emissions
• Fuel supplier certifies that the fuel meets
requirements
FUEL QUALITY
• Party obligations:
– take measures to promote fuel availability
– require suppliers to provide BDN and fuel
sample
– maintain a register of local fuel suppliers
– take action against fuel suppliers that provide
non-compliant fuel to ship
• Control by commercial fuel tests only
• No official authority involved in control
and monitoring prior to fuel delivery
FUEL QUALITY
• Plenty of requirements for the ship, the
fuel supplier and parties to Annex VI
• Ship leaves the port with the assumption
that the fuel is compliant
BUT,
• No mandatory control mechanism to
ensure that the fuel is compliant
• Potential to expose ship to enforcement
action by port states and/or engine
problems with bad quality fuel
FUEL QUALITY
• Documentation indicates that fuel is
compliant, but ship encounters problems:
- Engine failure
- Ship black out
- Fuel pump failure
- Reduced engine power
• Further analysis has shown:
- Chemical wastes added to fuel
- Fuel does not meet ISO specs
- Fuel contains solid contaminates
- Sulfur exceeds allowable limits
FUEL QUALITY
Number of Tanker Engine and Hull/Machinery Incidents
60
E ngine
50
O ther H ull & M ac hinery
40
30
20
10
0
2002
2003
2004
2005
Based on data from LMIU, ITOPF + others
2006
2007
2008
FUEL QUALITY
INTERTANKO believes more can be done
• Elimination of poor fuel quality needs to be
addressed proactively, rather than reactively
after a serious accident occur
• Appropriate test methodologies and
standards are in place
• IMO should adopt a fuel standard with a
mandatory control mechanism to ensure
compliant fuel
RELATED DEVELOPMENT
California Air Resource Board (CARB)
requires oceangoing vessels to use:
• July 2009 – MDO with sulphur content of
0.5% max or MGO
• Jan 2012 – MDO or MGO with sulphur
content of 0.1% max
• INTERTANKO commented at CARB
hearings supporting intent, but
recommending delaying dates
FUEL LUBRICITY
• One of the main reasons INTERTANKO
proposed later dates was to gain more
knowledge and experience with the use
of distillate fuels with sulphur content
of less than 1%
• INTERTANKO’s initial concern with
distillate fuel with a sulphur content of
less than 1% was lack of lubricity
resulting in excessive engine wear
FUEL VISCOSITY
• Since the introduction of the CARB
requirements there has been an
increase in vessel power losses, loss
of fuel pump pressure and engines
not responding to speed orders in
California ports
• Viscosity of the fuel is driving the
propulsion losses and equipment
failures
ISO 8217 FUEL STANDARD
• ISO has completed Draft International
Standard (DIS) that is currently out for
balloting until December 17
• DIS has minimum viscosity of 2 for
DMA (diesel) and 1.4 for DMX (gasoil)
• A minimum viscosity of at least 3 is
recommended
• American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) is US voting body
ISO 8217 FUEL STANDARD
Friday, October 23 Lloyd’s List
“Revisions to fuel oil standards could put
seafarers at risk”
“DNV Petroleum Services has raised serious concerns
that a proposed revision of the International Standards
Organization/Draft International Standard 8217 marine
fuel oil quality specification “may have a negative
impact on ship operation and crew safety.
DNV is…calling for re-evaluation of viscosity limits for
gas oils. In a circular, DNV said: “If no precautions are
taken, the actual injection viscosity will be below the
lowest limit recommended by major engine makers.”
FUEL SWITCHING
• US Coast Guard recognizes problems
of switching from residual to distillate
fuels and issues two SAFETY ALERTS
• American Petroleum Institute issues
document “Technical Considerations of
Fuel Switching”
• US Coast Guard leads ISO Working
Group to develop ISO standard on
“Critical systems for propulsion”
RECOMMENDATIONS
• ISO should finalize standard on
“Critical Systems for Propulsion”,
including provisions on fuel switching
• Government and industry should
express safety concerns to ANSI
about minimum viscosity levels in DIS
8217
• Engine manufacturers should develop
performance additives to ensure good
lubricity for use of 0.1% fuels
RECOMMENDATIONS
• IMO should adopt a fuel standard
• IMO should develop criteria for control
of fuels prior to delivery to ships
• Fuel compliance should be verified by
test results performed prior to delivery
of fuel to ship
• Verification should be performed by or
monitored by government authority
THANK
YOU!
WWW.INTERTANKO.COM