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IMO 2020: FUELS
c ra c k ed res idues , h ydroc ra c k er bottoms , s tra igh t run dis til l a tes , th erma l l y run dis til l a tes , etc . D epen din g on th e produc tion meth od th a t is a res ul t of th e ma n ufa c turin g route a n d bl en din g c ompon en t a v a il a bil ity, V S LF O c a n be predomin a n tl y a roma tic or pa ra ffin ic in n a ture a n d h en c e h a v in g properties ma in l y of on e or th e oth er. T h es e properties a ffec t th e s ta bil ity a n d c ompa tibil ity, h a ve impa c t on th e ign ition properties a n d differen tia te on th e pour poin t v a l ue.
Th e Sh i ppi ng ind u s tr y to d a te , h ad re lie d o n s pec i fic re s id u a l and d is tilla te f u e ls s u c h a s H F O , M G O / M D O , a ll b a s e d on I SO 8 2 1 7 ma rine f u e l qu a lity s tand ard s. Movi n g for w ard to ne w R e g u latio ns a nd em i ss i o n a re a s , th e ma rk e t u rg e d th e m a ri n e i n d u s tr y to re ly a ls o o n ano th er ra n ge o f f u e ls ca lle d U L S F O w ith 0 . 1 %S perc en t a ge a nd w h ile re ach ing 1 s t J a nu a ry 2 0 2 0 , t hat g lo ba l s u lp h u r limit o n ma rin e f u e ls b e re d u ce d f ro m Sulphur became 3 . 5 % to 0 . 5 % , o ne an important mo re f u e l ty p e ca lle d factor for the V L S F O ca me u nd er industry and new re v ie w . methods had to be developed E nabling a s u cce s s f ul for increased tra ns itio n to 2 0 2 0, blending d e ma nds activities to meet incre as e d f o r b o th th e d e ta iled required sulfur p ro d u ct k now le d g e percentage in a lo ng w ith th e p ro p er fuel. h and ling ins tru ctio ns a n d t he o n - b o a rd o p eratio nal as p e cts w ere req u i red. I ntro d u cing V L S F O , re s u lte d in a w i der ra n g e o f f u e l f o r mu latio ns a cro s s t h e i n du s tr y . I nitially , th e co ntro lling pa ra m et ers a f ter b le nd ing o f d if f ere n t fu el s ha ve be e n th e v is co s ity a nd the den s i t y . L ater o n, s u lp h u r be ca me an i m po r t a n t f a cto r f o r th e ind u s tr y a nd ne w m et h o ds h ad to be d e ve lo p e d f o r incre a s e d b l en di n g activ itie s to me e t re qu ire d s u lf ur perc en t a ge . T h ere are s e veral V L S F O pro du c t i o n me th o d s f o r w h ich th e ve s s el o pera t o r h as no inf o r ma tio n a nd th e c o r rel a t i o n o f me th o d to f u e l’ s p ro p er tie s ha s n o t y e t be e n e s ta b lis h e d : S tra ig h t ru n resi d u e s , h y d ro cra ck e d re s id u e s , t h er m a l l y cra ck e d re s id u e s , cata ly tically
D a n a os es ta bl is h ed a proj ec t wh os e ma in purpos e wa s to furth er a s s es s th es e bl en ded fuel s a n d un ders ta n d h ow th ey s h oul d be trea ted by our on boa rd members from bun k erin g to burn in g. T h is effort wa s a c c ompl is h ed by a n a l yz in g a l l bun k ered V S LF O s a mpl es –a pprox . 130 s a mpl es in tota l - s in c e 2019 with s pec ific a ddition a l tes ts , dis c us s ed with th e a ppoin ted l a bora tory a n d th us ga in in g th e a dv a n ta ge of better fa mil ia riz a tion with th e produc t its el f. T h e ben efit th a t c a me a l on g with th is proj ec t, wa s th e a bil ity to c rea te s ta tis tic s for th e firs t mon th s of V LS F O bun k erin g in terms of c ol d fl ow properties , wa x forma tion , etc . th a t ex c eeds th e ta s k of I S O 8 2 1 7 s ta n da rds . A fterwa rds , rel ev a n t dec is ion s were ta k en on th e a ddition a l tes ts to be c on duc ted on ea c h V LS F O s a mpl e th a t s h a l l be fol l owed by a l l th e D a n a os F l eet.
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