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ISSUES WITH HSFO BUNKERS IN SINGAPORE
Capt. Simon Rapley, Divisional Director, Loss Prevention London
Published: 5 April 2022
The Club has recently experienced 13 cases where vessels have encountered main and auxiliary machinery problems after stemming bunkers in Singapore.
Issues are being experienced after the use of High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO) provided to vessels using scrubbers in order to comply with MARPOL sulphur emission limits. No cases have been experienced with Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) or Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (ULSFO). To date only residual fuel oil has been affected, with no issues with distillate fuels reported.
The fuel oil, when tested against ISO 8217 (the standard for marine distillate and marine residual fuels), may be found to be on specification. However, samples when subjected to more investigative analysis utilising Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), have been found to contain chemicals, variously referred to as chlorinated hydrocarbon, volatile organic, or organic chloride compounds.
Damage has been reported to various fuel oil components affecting both main and auxiliary engines, with fuel pumps either damaged or with degraded performance and fuel injector components affected. Occasionally the result of fuel oil supply issues has been main engine and/or auxiliary engine failures and blackouts.
Members are reminded to ensure that samples of HSFO stemmed in Singapore are subject to testing in accordance with the applicable ISO 8217 standard and, in addition, it is recommended that GC-MS is added to the testing regime to check for the presence of any chemicals. Fuel oil should not, regardless of where it is stemmed, be used until the test results have been received and reviewed. In one of the cases above this simple precautionary measure had not been taken.
Although a fuel oil sample may be on specification for the various parameters listed on the applicable ISO 8217 specification, where chemical components are found this is contrary to the requirements of clause 5 of the ISO standard. Although clause 5 differs slightly between the various iterations of ISO 8217, the basic premise is that the fuel oil should not contain any material in a concentration that could affect the performance of machinery, is harmful to people, or could affect the safety of the vessel.
It should also be considered that the use of contaminated fuel oil is in contravention of MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 18.3, which states:
“3 Fuel oil for combustion purposes delivered to and used on board ships to which this Annex applies shall meet the following requirements:
1.3 the fuel oil shall not include any added substance or chemical waste which:
.1.3.1 jeopardizes the safety of ships or adversely affects the performance of the machinery, or
.1.3.2 is harmful to personnel, or
.1.3.3 contributes overall to additional air pollution.”
Members requiring any additional information should contact the Loss Prevention department.