IMO 2020: Fuels

cracked residues, hydrocracker bottoms, straight run distillates, thermally run distillates, etc. Depending on the production method that is a result of the manufacturing route and blending component availability, VSLFO can be predominantly aromatic or paraffinic in nature and hence having properties mainly of one or the other. These properties affect the stability and compatibility, have impact on the ignition properties and differentiate on the pour The Shipping industry to date, had relied point value. on specific residual and distillate fuels such as HFO, MGO/MDO, all based on ISO 8217 marine fuel quality standards. Moving forward to new Regulations and emission areas, the market urged the marine industry to rely also on another range of fuels called ULSFO with 0.1%S percentage and while reaching 1st January 2020, that global sulphur limit on marine fuels be reduced from Sulphur became 3.5% to 0.5%, one an important more fuel type called factor for the VLSFO came under industry and new methods had to review. be developed for increased Enabling a successful blending transition to 2020, activities to meet required sulfur percentage in fuel. increased demands for both the detailed product knowledge along with the proper handling instructions Danaos established a project whose main purpose was to further assess these blended fuels and understand how they should be treated by our onboard members and the on-board operational aspects were from bunkering to burning. This effort was required. Introducing VLSFO, resulted in accomplished by analyzing all bunkered a wider range of fuel formulations across VSLFO samples –approx. 130 samples in the industry. Initially, the controlling total-since 2019 with specific additional parameters after blending of different tests, discussed with the appointed fuels have been the viscosity and the laboratory and thus gaining the advantage density. Later on, sulphur became an of better familiarization with the product important factor for the industry and new itself. The benefit that came along with methods had to be developed for increased this project, was the ability to create blending activities to meet required sulfur statistics for the first months of VLSFO percentage. There are several VLSFO bunkering in terms of cold flow properties, production methods for which the vessel wax formation, etc. that exceeds the task operator has no information and the of ISO 8217 standards. Afterwards, correlation of method to fuel’s properties relevant decisions were taken on the has not yet been established: Straight additional tests to be conducted on each run residues, hydrocracked residues, VLSFO sample that shall be followed by all thermally cracked residues, catalytically the Danaos Fleet.