A Master's Guide to Using Fuel Oil Onboard Ships

A MASTER’S GUIDE TO: TO:

USING FUEL OIL ONBOARD SHIPS

February 2012

The Standard P&l Club

ABS

The Standard P&I Club’s loss prevention programme ocuses on best practice to avert those claims that are avoidable and that oten result rom crew error or equipment ailure. In its continuing commitment to saety at sea and the prevention o accidents, casualties and pollution, the club issues a variety o publications on saety-related subjects, o which this is one.

From its oundation in 1862, promoting maritime saety has been the core commitment o ABS.

For more inormation about these publications, please contact the Standard Club or visit w ww.standard-club.com

ABS is a provid provider er o marine marine and osho oshore re classi classiic icati ation on servic services. es. The responsibility o the classiication society is to veriy that marine vessels and oshore structures comply with Rules that the society has esta blished or design, construction and periodic sur vey. vey. Thanks to Mr I. Koumbarelis and Mr K. Kotsos o American Bureau o Shipping (ABS) or inormation provided within this document.

Kittiwake

FTS/Hotrans

Established in 1993, Kittiwake Developments has grown into a global provider o monitoring and testing technology solutions with oices in the UK, Germany, USA, and Asia. Kittiwake are experts in machinery condition monitoring, uel and lube oil analysis and marine water testing.

FTS/Hotrans started th eir activities in 1987. 1987. The activities take place in the so called ARA-area (Amsterdam-Rotterdam Antwerp). FTS/Hotrans’ FTS/Hotrans’ oices are located in Rotterdam and Antwerp. All activities are perormed with double hull vessels, vessels, a total total o 23 tank barges in 20 09. Obtaining a double hull leet was an important objective set a decade ago. The largest tank barge o FTS Hotrans had a capacity o 6.745 MT, and the smallest tank barge had a capacity o 900 MT. All tank barges operate and/or working with the latest tech niques rom industry. During 2008 this will grow to 100% in conormance with the ormulated objective a couple o years ago. In 2007 the biggest vessel o FTS/Hotrans had a capacity o 6.745 ton. Service Terminal Rotterdam

Author Mark C. Ford Senior Surveyor Charles Taylor & Co Limited Standard House 12–13 Essex Street London WC2R 3AA UK Tel: +44 20 3320 2316 Email: mark.[email protected] Web: www.standard-club.com The authors acknowledge technical contributions rom colleagues and associates. The authors express their particular thanks to: I. Koumbarelis ABS Europe Europe Piraeus Piraeus Engineering Engineering Department K. Kotsos ABS Europe Europe Piraeus Piraeus Engineering Engineering Department Matthias Winkler Kittiwake Ed Versluis FTS Hotrans

Service Terminal Rotterdam started her operations in October 2003. Two main activities orm the core o STR’s operations. The irst activity is servicing ship-to-ship transshipments, lay-by and the supply o Nitrogen to lay-by and ship-to-ship vessels which commenced since the start o the company. The second STR activity is storage o heavy uel in onshore tanks, this activity started mid-2005.

contents

PAGE

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01

Introduction Introduc tion

03

02

Fuel oil and insurance insura nce claims What is uel oil?

04 04

03

Bunkering Responsibility Bunker plan Communication Pollution prevention measures Tank capacities capac ities Bunker checklists Bunker system set-up Continuous checks Fuel delivery dubious practices Flowmeter readings Completion Sampling and analysis Onboard testing Fuel quality Bunker system maintenance

08 09 10 10 11 14 16 17 18 18 18 22 23 26 27 35

04

Documentation Charterparty clauses Bunker Supply Contracts Bunkering instructions Oil Record Book Bunker receipts Letters o protest Fuel oil analysis reports

36 36 38 38 38 40 40 41

05

Storage Heating Bunker capacity Settling tanks Saety Service tanks Guidance in preparation or uel changeover Fuel changeover procedure basic guidelines Sludge and uel oil leakage tanks

42 42 43 43 43 44 45 46 48

06

Processing Fuel transer Settling tanks to service tanks Centriugal separation (puriiers) Filtration Viscosity control

51 51 51 51 54 55

07

Machinery using uel oil Main engines and boilers Leakage protection Fireighting

56 56 60 60

A MASTE R’S GUIDE TO: USING FUEL OIL ONBOARD SHIPS

01

contents

08

Additional precautions Cleanliness Management o change Familiarisation Bunker uel tagging

61 61 61 61 62

09

Regulations and standards MARPOL The current and uture regulations or MARPOL Annex VI

63 63 64

10

Glossary Glossar y

68

Poster and checklist

02 STANDARD CLUB


01

IntRoDUctIon

The purpose o this guide is to provide masters, ships’ ocers and shore superintendents with a basic knowledge o the use o, and precautions to be taken when using uel oils onboard ship. The misuse o uel oil can lead to major claims and jeopardise the saety o the ship. They say that ‘oil and water do not mix’; today the master has to be very much aware o what is happening in the engine room. Fuel oil has been used onboard ship since the 1870s when the SS Constantine rst sailed the Caspian Sea using oil in her boilers to generate steam or the main propulsion system. system. Now, most merchant tonnage primarily burns uel oil to produce power or propulsion purposes, electrical power generation, in boilers or all o these. Shipowners are aced with signicant uel cost fuctuations and changing emissions regulations, both o which determine the way uel systems and diesel engines onboard are operated. This can cause various engine uel system operational problems, such as purier or lter clogging, uel pump scoring or ailure, severe cylinder liner wear, wear, uel injector seizure, exhaust valve seat corrosion or blow-past and turbocharger turbine wheel ouling. This is just a shortlist o potential problems. We shall be mainly looking at the use o residual uel oil (Heavy Fuel Oil/ Intermediate Intermediate Fuel Oil (commonly reerred to as HFO/IFO) HFO/IFO) which usually has a viscosity o around 380cst/1 380cst /180cst 80cst respectively.) respectively.) The use o HFO/IFO onboard ship can be very problematic. We will be paying particular attention to bunkering, storage, processing, machinery using HFO and the current and uture regulations regarding uel onboard ship. However, However, the majority o practices ollowed or HFO in this guide also relate to the distillate uel marine diesel oil/gas oil (commonly reerred to as MDO/MGO) used on ships. We aim to raise awareness o the problems encountered with the storage, handling and processing o HFO onboard ship that can, i not approached in a sae and procient manner, result in catastrophic loss o lie, loss o the ship or a major pollution incident. We shall show that the good management and understanding o HFO will present less risk o a heavy uel oil problem arising and result in a saer, cleaner and a more reliable ship. Author Author:: Mark C. Ford – Chie Engineer Senior Surveyor, Surveyor, Standard Club

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Edit Editor: or: Capt. Chris Spencer Director Loss Prevention, Prevention, Standard Club


03

02

FUeL oIL AnD InsURAnce cLAIMs

Fuel oil causes, or contributes, to many serious insurance claims. Examples: Damaged cylinder liners Ater taking taking on bunkers bunkers in a Europe European an port, port, a ship’s ship’s nine main engine engine cylin cylinder der liners liners suered excessive wear rates as a result o high catalytic ines. Cylinder liners were replaced. The claim was $420,000. Main engine problems – Allegation o o-spec bunkers supplied at sea by char terers. Claim or engine damage stemming rom alleged o-spec bunkers. The ship was dry-docked and the damaged engine parts par ts were removed and replaced. Sample tests at the time indicated the bunkers were within speciication but that they did contain additional chemicals apparently not normally ound. The claim is in the order o $1.8m to date or engine damage. Claims resulting rom poor uel oil or rom poorly puriied uel oil usually appear under hull and machinery cover including damage to the main engine, or example. This, however, may also result in a P&I claim, relating to grounding, collision, pollution and or wreck removal. Pollution – $60,000 ine Pollution occurred because a valve was let open in the ship’s ship’s bunker line, so that the bunkers were delivered directly overboard rather than into the tanks. The chie engineer was in charge o the bunker operations and signed the bunker checklist. It is understood that he was in the engine room and the wiper was on deck monitoring the maniold. The pumping rate was agreed at 150m3 per hour. A number o checklists have to be signed by both the bunker barge and the receiver as laid out in the International Saety Guide or Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT) including the checking o valve positions, tightness o lange connections, condition o hoses etc. It is the responsibility o each ship to check its own equipment and the bunker operator can only be responsible or his ship and his hose to the ship’s ship’s maniold; they should also check the maniold connection on the receiving ship beore beginning pumping. The claim or pollution clean-up costs was in excess o $1m and a ine o some $60,000 was imposed.

What is uel oil? Fuel oil is a material that produces heat while being consumed by burning. Fossil uels, also called mineral uels, are combustible materials that are organic, having been derived rom the decomposition o creatures and plants millions o years ago. Fossil uels include oil, coal, lignite, natural gas and peat. Artiicial uels, such as gasoline and kerosene, are made rom ossil uels. Fossil uels can take a number o orms: these include crude cr ude oil which is a liquid, natural gas (methane) and coal which is a solid. For this Master’s Guide we are ocusing on oil.

04 STANDARD CLUB


Crude oil Crude oil is ound deep underground and is removed by drilling a well. Approximately hal o the world’s world’s accessible crude oil is ound in the Middle East. Beore crude oil can be used eectively it has to be reined. This process will produce a number o distillates including petroleum, gas oil, kerosene, lubricating oils, heavy uel oils and tar. On average, crude oils consist o the ollowing elements or compounds: Carbon – 84% Hydrogen – 14% Sulphur – 1 to 3% (hydrogen sulphide, sulphides, disulphides, elemental sulphurs) Nitrogen – less than 1% Oxygen – less than 1% Metals – less than 1% (nickel, iron, vanadium, copper, arsenic) Salts – less than 1% (sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride)

• • • • • • •

Heavy uel Oil (HFO) and Intermediate Fuel Oil (IFO) Heavy uel oils are blended products based on the residues rom reinery distillation and cracking processes. Dierent hydrocarbon structures’ chain lengths have progressively higher boiling points, so they can all be separated by distillation. distillation. This is what happens in an oil reinery – in the initial part o the process, crude oil is heated and the dierent chains are separated out by their diering vaporisation temperatures. Each chain length has a dierent property that makes it useul in its own way. The oldest and most common way to separate crude oil into the various components (called ractions), ractions), is to use the dierences in boiling temperature. This process is called ractional distillation. distillation. Crude oil is heated, vaporised and then the vapour is condensed. (See igure on page 6 or a simpliied overview o this reining process). Newer techniques use chemical processing on some o the ractions to make others, in a process called conversion. Chemical processing, or example, can break the longer chemical chains into shorter ones. This allows a reinery to turn diesel uel into petroleum, depending on the demand or petroleum. Reineries treat the ractions to remove impurities. Reineries combine the various ractions (processed and unprocessed) unprocessed ) into mixtures to make desired products. For example, dierent mixtures o chemical chains can create petroleum with dierent octane ratings. r atings.

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05

FUeL oIL AnD InsURAnce cLAIMs

Fractioning column Gases

20°C

Liquefed petroleum gas

Fractions decreasing in density and boiling point Naptha

Chemicals

70°C

Petrol (gasoline)

120°C

Kerosene (parafn oil)

Petrol or vehicles

Aviatio n uel

170°C

Ships Diesel oils

270°C

Oils Lubricating oil

Crude Oil

400°C

Ships Fuel oil Fractions increasing in density and boiling point

600°C

Residue

Bitumen or roads

^ Typical refining process

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Secondary reining techniques, such as thermal cracking and catalytic cracking are commonly used to extract higher value products rom crude oil. Thermal cracking uses a technique known as ‘visbreaking1’ to reduce the viscosity o the inal residue. The result is that less cutter stock2 is required to reduce the residue to its desired viscosity3. Visbreaking produces a lower quality residue, with a higher density, higher carbon content and poor ignition quality. Catalytic cracking is perhaps the most important secondary reining process. Aluminium silicates are used as the catalysts to urther ur ther remove high value components, particularly gasoline. Heavy gas oils, or cycle oils, are also produced. These are oten used as cutter stocks with visbreaking residues to produce residual uel oils. The residue rom the cracking process is termed ‘slurry ‘slurr y oil’. oil’. This slurry slurr y tends to be highly aromatic and o poor ignition quality but can be blended with the inal residual uel oil. The catalyst components are expensive, and are thereore recovered. Some, however, can ind their way into the inished product (catalytic ines). As the name implies, residual uel oil is produced rom the residue o the reining process. Catalytic ines remaining in bunkers are a major cause o damage to diesel engines. As will be explained later, later, this is one reason why uel oil analysis is so important. impor tant. Heavy uel oil is a general term, and other names commonly used to describe this range o products include: residual uel oil, bunker uel, bunker C, uel oil No. 6, industrial uel oil, marine uel oil and black oil. In addition, terms such as heavy uel oil, intermediate uel oil and light uel oil are used to describe products or industrial applications, to give a general indication o the viscosity and density o the product. Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is so named because o its high viscosity; it almost resembles tar when cold. They require heating or storage and combustion. Heavy uel oils are used widely in marine applications in combustion equipment such as main engines, auxiliary engines and boilers. Due to the reining process becoming more sophisticated to extract more higher value uels. The heavy uel oils contain less higher quality ractions and are moving slowly towards the bottom end o the scale approaching bitumens. As a residual residual produc product, t, HFO HFO is a relativ relatively ely inexpensi inexpensive ve uel – typically typically its costs around around 30% 30% less than distillate uels. It has become the standard uel or large, slow speed marine diesel engines, this being especially so during the oil crises o the 1970s and 1980s. Its use required extensive research and development development o the uel injection system and other components o low and medium speed engines.

1 Visbreaking is a non-catalytic thermal process that converts atmospheric or vacuum vacuum residues via thermal cracking to gas, naphtha, distillates, and visbroken residue. Atmospheric and vacuum residues are typically charged to a visbreaker to reduce uel oil viscosity and increase distillate yield in the reinery. 2 A reinery stream used to thin a uel oil or gasoil. Viscosity reduction and sulphur level adjustment provide most o the requirement or the cutter stock. 3 Viscosity is the resistance o a liquid liquid to shear orces (and hence to low). low).

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07

03

BUnKeRInG

Bunkering may take place oshore, at anchor or alongside. It may be pumped rom road tanker, bunker barge or another tanker or ship. Whatever the provider, the procedures ollowed are similar. similar. Bunkering should be considered a high risk operation, operat ion, where mistakes can result in pollution, high inancial penalties or even imprisonment.

^ Bunkering operations

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Ships burning HFO in combustion equipment will, at some time in the voyage cycle, have to bunker uel to replenish what has been consumed. One o the most important procedures o a bunkering operation is attention to the ‘checklists’ ‘checklists’. The procedures and lists orm part o a company’s saety management system (SMS) which ollow the International Saety Management (ISM) Code. As stated stated in the the ISM ISM Code Code in section section 1.2.1 .2.1: “The objectives of the Code are to ensure safety at sea, prevention of human injury or loss of life, and avoidance of damage to the environment, in particular to the mar ine environment and to property. property.” Bunkering checklists should be implemented to reduce the risk o negligence and other operational errors. They must be ollowed ollowed in consultation with the chie engineer, as he is normally the designated oicer-in-charge oicer-in-charge o the bunkering operation. Beore bunkering, usually a junior engineering oicer takes ‘soundings’ o bunker tanks and calculates the volume o uel oil available in every uel oil tank on the ship. Then a bunker plan is prepared or the distribution o the uel oil to be received.

Responsibility The Master is responsible or all that happens on a ship. The Chie Engineer should be responsible or matters that concern the engine room including uel oil systems and bunkering. Taking uel oil (bunkering) is a potentially high risk operation and thereore it should always be the Chie Engineer’s responsibility. This should be clearly stated in the company saety management system. I certain tasks are delegated they should be monitored and checked by the Chie Engineer. The Master should always be aware o these responsibilities. Case study A ship ship was bunkerin bunkering g in in a major major Asian Asian port. The bunkerin bunkering g opera operatio tion n was was neari nearing ng compl completi etion on and had stopped to calculate quantities that remained to be bunkered in the one tank being topped up. The Chie Engineer was in his cabin and had ‘delegated’ the task o bunkering to the junior engineer. engineer. The junior engineer had not been on the ship very long. The junior engineer made a mistake in calculating the remaining available available space in the tank and asked or a urther ur ther additional amount o bunkers to be stemmed. Due to the act that the bunker tank was nearly ull, heavy uel oil bunkers spilled out rom the air vent pipes and into the water. The authorities subsequently ined the ship and master and imprisoned the Master, chie engineer and junior engineer. engineer. Conclusion Companies should ensure that proper bunker procedures are maintained. Masters should always ensure they are satisied that bunkering operations are always carried out in a correct manner.

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09

BUnKeRInG

The ollowing is a list o the essentials to be carried out beore, during and ater bunkering.

Bunker plan The bunker plan is a piping (schematic) (schematic) diagram that is accurate and representative o the bunkering system onboard. The plan should show the distribution o the bunkers and be posted by the bunkering station during bunkering, and must be ully under stood and signed by the oicers involved in the operation. Ideally it should show the amount o uel onboard the ship beore commencing bunkers, the amount o uel to be bunkered and the plan o distribution o bunkers with tank soundings expected upon completion. A copy o the bunker tank sounding tables should be available to all personnel and orm part o the bunker plan.

Communication Beore commencing bunkers, an eective and reliable means o communication is to be established and agreed between both parties. The ship is to ensure that an agreed stop command and slow down command has been established with the bunker provider. provider. The most common means o communication during bunker operations is by VHF r adio.

^ VHF radios

Communication between the bunker station and the engine room is to be tested to ensure that noise rom the machinery space does not interere or block the communication rom the deck and lead to misunderstanding. There are headsets available on the market that have noise cancellation technology and are ideal or engine room to deck communication. There should be an agreed emergency stop signal available should the main communication ail with either party. I the emergency stop signal is initiated then the bunkering operation should be halted immediately. Some bunkering companies will place an emergency e mergency stop button linked to the barge’s transer pump, by the ship’s bunkering station. This can be used by the ship’s oicer in charge o bunkering should the need arise to stop the bunker barge pumping the uel. Ensure that this is tested. During the bunkering operation, the primary means o communication is to be regularly tested.

10

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The illustration below is a typical emergency communication guide or use when bunkering. It is good practice or the ship to issue the bunker supplier with this beore commencing bunkers. Consideration must be given to language diiculties between the ship and the bunker barge. Mutually agreed signals and commands must be tested prior to commencing pumping.

HOLD

WAIT

SLOW

FAST

STOP

FINISH

^ Bunkering communication guide (See attached poster)

Pollution prevention measures • •

•

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during the bunkering operation, there is always a risk o a spill this could be caused by a ailure in the bunker lexible pipeline, the blow-out o a damaged gasket, the opening or closing o a wrong valve or the accidental overlow o a bunker tank whatever whatever the reason, there must be procedures in place to prevent pollution o the environment


11

BUnKeRInG

The photograph below is o an incident caused by the closing o a shipboard valve and the resulting overpressure splitting the bunkering line on the bunker barge deck. Fortunately in this case, the bunker barge was ollowing the correct spill precautions and the spill was eectively contained on the barge deck without pollution.

^ A bunker spill can happen if the operation is not closely monitored

Moorings The bunker hose shown opposite was disrupted as a result o a mooring ailure between the bunker barge and the ship. The moorings were not being eectively tended and the ship moved away rom the barge and caused undue stress on the bunker line. Failure occurred on the bunker barge deck, and the oil was contained. The ship should always ensure that the moorings rom the bunker barge are properly secured, are suicient in number to prevent the barge rom moving, and are in good condition. They should be continually checked.

^ Failed bunker hose

12

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Particular attention should be given to the moorings in rivers r ivers and channels where passing traic can orce the moorings to surge and possibly break the uel hose or hose connections. Beore bunkering commences it is highly recommended to inspect the bunker hose or any signs o damage. Shown below is a section o bunker hose that was ound to be damaged beore bunkering commenced. The damaged section was cut out and the hose was satisactorily satisactorily pressure tested. This caused a delay in the bunkering time, but things could have been much worse had the split not been identiied. Hoses rom reputable suppliers will be certiied. cer tiied. I in doubt ask to see the last hose test certiicate.

^ Cropped section of damaged bunker hose

Ship to ship bunkering Occasionally ships trading to certain cer tain areas are asked to bunker ‘oshore’. ‘oshore’. This is usually because the bunkers are not available in local ports por ts or are o dubious quality, or because a jurisdiction imposes draconian Customs dues. When asked to carry out ship to ship (STS) bunker operations some urther basic rules should apply and checks should include: risk assessment compliance with Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) (STS) guidelines the master being ully inormed as to the operation including – location location,, weather weather,, swell swell – end ender erin ing g adequ adequat ate e – bunke bunkerin ring g ship ship particu particulars lars conirmation that the bunker hose is in a good condition and certiied bunker quality assessment quantity assessment • • •

• • •

Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) equipment At the the bunke bunkerr maniol maniold d and wherever wherever necessary, necessary, as per per the ship’s ship’s SOPEP SOPEP plan, plan, the the SOPE SOPEP P equipment should be kept in a state o immediate readiness, to avoid the risk o an oil spill and pollution during the bunkering operation.

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The SOPEP locker should have a minim a minimum um o these items: 1. absorbent absorb ent rolls 2. absorbent pads 3. absorbent granules 4. absorbent materials 5. brooms 6. shovels 7. mops 8. scoops 9. empty receptacles (200 litres capacity) 10. portable air driven pumps 11. oil boom or small spill containment contain ment 12. oil spill dispersants disper sants These items must be stowed in an easily accessible locker, locker, clearly marked, and must be be brought on deck ready or immediate use, prior to all bunkering operations. As previous previously ly menti mentioned, oned, emergency emergency stop procedures procedures must be in in place place and and all all scupper scupper plugs and save-all plugs itted to minimise oil pollution should a spill occur.

Tank capacities capacit ies Tank capacities should be monitored during bunkering by the use o soundings and/or ullages. Sometimes it is easier to use ullages i the bunker tank is large, as this saves time by not having to clean a large section o the sounding tape ater each dip. Ullages should always be taken using the ullage pipe and reerence to the ullage tables or tank contents used. Never use sounding pipes or ullages unless they have been speciically designed or this and the relevant ullage tables are used. Failure to use the correct tables or the sounding or ullage may result in a quantity miscalculation, and consequently an oil overlow. overlow. Many ships have remote measuring systems that are sae, accurate and are class approved. The use o these remote systems, however, should not be taken or granted as without regular maintenance and testing these pieces o equipment may give alse readings because o line blockages, air pressure ailure or transmitter/electrical transmitter/electrical problems. Thereore beore bunkering the remote readings should be cross-checked with manual soundings. This cross-check may be included in the ship’s ship’s planned maintenance routines. Smaller ships may have tank gauges itted directly on the bunker tank. These gauges should be checked and calibrated every docking cycle to ensure that they are ully operational and accurate. They may be in the orm o a pressure gauge read-out, or a stainless steel tube containing the bunker luid with an external sight glass using magnetic indicators as shown in the photographs opposite. The ship should have certain knowledge as to how ull the tanks can be illed saely. It is oten normal to ill bunker tanks to 90% capacity. Some tanks may require less due to unusual shape and internal coniguration which can cause air locks and pockets.

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^ Bunker tank level indication

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Bunker checklists Bunkering is a ‘high risk’ operation where mistakes can have signiicant consequences, including ines and imprisonment. Oten there is considerable commercial pressure on the ship and ship’s sta. DO NOT commence bunkering until everything everything is properly prepared, checked and in place. The bunker checklist is a very important document and is an integral part par t o the bunkering process. It is created as part o the ISM system and is ship speciic. It should be drawn up and approved by the chie engineer. The checklist must be strictly ollowed and not just completed automatically. On many occasions, items on a bunker checklist have been checked o without veriying whether the requirements have been completed. This may well lead to a serious bunkering incident. Bunkering is oten carried out when the engineering sta are under pressure in respect o both time and manpower. Key checks are oten missed and omissions only come to light when it is too late. The checklist should at the very least include the items below. Pre-bunkering checklist: 1. state o adjacent waters reviewed and deemed acceptable 2. ship properly secured (unless STS) 3. check suppliers’ suppliers’ speciication speciication or or the product corresponds to what what was ordered 4. agree quantity to be supplied and in in what units units (m³, (m³, tonnes, barrels etc) etc) 5. agree maximum pumping rate rate and line line pressure at start, at maximum low and at the end 6. ensure that the bunker bunker barge checklist is understood and completed completed 7. ensure that the bunker plan is understood under stood and posted at the bunker station 8. emergency stop or bunker barge transer pump at the ship’s ship’s bunker bunker station has been tested i supplied 9. ensure the MARPOL drip sampler is clean and itted 10. check correct bunker valves valves are open 11. cross-check cross- check correct bunker valve set-up 12. uel oil daily service tanks at maximum sae working level, and illing valves closed 13. warning signs in position, or instance ‘No Smoking’ Smoking’ 14. material saety data sheet or HFO is available 15. SOPEP plan is available 16. spill clean-up material readily available available 17. 17. ensure all save-all and drip tray plugs are screwed in position 18. provisions made to drain o any accumulations accumulations o sea or rain water on deck during bunkering 19. plug all deck scuppers and ensure they are oil and watertight 20. oam ire extinguisher extinguisher placed at bunker station 21. 21. puriiers and transer pumps o 22. check that the sounding and ullage pipe caps are screwed down, down, unless dipping a tank

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23. check that the air vents and lame arrestors or the bunker tanks are intact and ree rom blockages 24. re-conirm remaining space in bunker tanks to be illed 25. check bunker tank high level level alarms i itted 26. ensure that the designated overlow tank and overlow sight glasses/alarms are prepared and monitored 27. 27. agree stop and start signals between betwee n ship and barge or road tanker 28. bravo lag lying and red light showing at night 29. agree emergency shutdown shutdown procedure 30. ensure all ire precautions are observed observed 31. 31. all hot work work permits should have been suspended suspend ed or the duration o bunkering 32. check hose and couplings are secure and in good order 33. uel connection and hose secured to to vessel 34. check barge or road tanker lowmeter lowmeter tamper seal and check soundings on barge or road tanker 35. carry out a spot analysis or compatibility test i ship has the test kit 36. check on shipboard lowmeter lowmeter 37. 37. ensure ship and barge moorings will be tended during bunkering 38. bunker maniold valve open 39. unused maniold connections isolated and blanked blanked o 40. all ship communications conirmed as operational 41. all ship to shore or barge communications agreed and operational 42. oicer on watch/master inormed inormed 43. signal pumping to commence commence

Bunker system set-up It is imperative that all engineering oicers are ully aware o the uel oil bunkering system. The chie engineer should allow only engineers who are amiliar with the system to be actively involved in bunkering operations. The master should be ully aware during bunker operations o the quantities to be received, bunker distribution, start time, oicers-in-charge, expected time o completion, and be in communication with all involved. Beore pumping starts, the tank receiving the uel should be identiied by the oicer-in-charge and the correct system valves opened and tagged with easily identiiable valve positions. All other other system system valve valvess should should be be check checked ed and tagged tagged as being closed. closed. The The syste system m may may then be cross-checked by another competent oicer to ensure it is in a state o readiness to accept uel delivery. It is recommended that this cross-check o the system set-up is part o the bunker checklist. When commencing the bunkers, ensure that the pumping rate is very slow to enable the system to be checked or leaks and that the uel is being received in the desired location. Once this has been veriied, the pumping rate can be increased to the saest maximum rate, ensuring that the bunker line maximum pressure is monitored and not exceeded.

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Continuous checks The chie engineer should always be in overall charge o the bunkering operation. During bunkering procedures: 1. witness taking and sealing o a minimum o o three representative product samples 2. check the bunker line line pressure regularly regularly to ensure it is not too high 3. check and record record the temperature temperature o the uel as it is pumped on board board 4. monitor uel connections connections or or leaks leaks and uel low low 5. monitor the sight glass in the engine room to ensure no overlow overlow is taking place 6. changeover tanks whenever whenever necessary. (Always open open the other other tank beore beore isolating isolating the ull one) 7. check the rate at which bunkers are received 8. check the the tightness tightness and slackness o mooring ropes ropes 9. check trim and list o the bunker barge and the ship 10. continuous continuou s monitoring and look-outs look-outs or the ship’s position and mooring arrangements arrange ments when at anchor

Fuel delivery dubious practices The vast majority o companies involved in the uel oil supply and bunkering industry carry out their business in an honest and proessional manner. The behaviour o a ew individuals can cast a shadow over the whole industry, but genuine mistakes can be made. It is important to be aware o the type o malpractice which has occurred and may be used again. Such malpractice can result in bunker claims. Fuel oil delivery: quantity One method o adjusting the delivered quantity o uel oil is by measuring twice. This is done by transerring the uel rom one tank to another by gravity during taking o the opening readings. One o the irst tank quantities measured is then dropped under gravity to a convenient slack tank which will be measured last. Usually this is achieved by transerring rom a uel tank at to a slack tank orward, the gauging having been started in the at tanks. Counter measure – re-check the irst tanks measured beore delivery begins. Ullage and soundings The delivery barge contends that seals on sounding and ullage pipes cannot be broken. The deceit is usually backed by pretexts such as Customs seals or a seized sounding cock. Usually the only alternative to gauging the tanks is by measurement through a lowmeter. lowmeter. Be wary o air being introduced through the meter to increase the measured delivery displayed. This is commonly called the ‘cappuccino eect’ (see below). Counter measures – do not agree to meter only uel oil deliveries. I Customs seals are cited, issue a letter o protest, or comment on the bunker delivery receipt with counter-signature rom barge master.

Flowmeter readings Flowmeter re-circulation lines Sometimes bunker barge lowmeters are itted with a small bleed-o line ater the lowmeter that returns the uel being bunkered to the suction side o the barge bunker supply pump. This eectively means that the uel is being passed through the lowmeter twice. The by-pass recirculation line may be only small in diameter but over the bunkering period it can have a big impact on the quantity o uel bunkered.

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Counter measures – check or any suspicious lines ater the barge’s lowmeter. Use the ship’s ship’s lowmeter (i itted) as a cross check and question any major dierences. Ask A sk to see the bunker barge’s lowmeter lowmeter calibration certiicate and check that the lowmeter seal is intact. Reer to the bunker barge cargo piping diagram to assist with the checking o any suspicious lines. The cappuccino eect Air is is someti sometimes mes inten intention tionally ally introduced introduced by the the supplie supplierr during during the pumping pumping o o bunkers bunkers to the ship which aerates the uel being delivered. The common standard type lowmeter will not measure the quantity o uel being delivered but the volume o throughput. I the uel has been aerated, this volume is made up o uel and small air bubbles. Thus the quantity o uel being delivered is on some occasions considerably less than stated, because the lowmeter, which measures the volume going through it, reacts to both the bunker uel and the low-density entrapped air and registers this as a large volume o oil. The mass o the entrapped air, however, is so small that it does not contribute signiicantly to the total mass o the mixture. When the bunker tanks are sounded, the soundings also appears correct as the entrapped air is still in suspension in the uel. When the air eventually settles out o the uel oil the level o the bunker tank drops. This indicates an apparent onboard uel loss at the next sounding. Depending on the amount o bunkers requested, the uel shortage can be considerable and amount to a heavy inancial loss, or result in a bunker claim. This practice is commonly reerred to as the ‘cappuccino’ ‘cappuccino’ eect. Counter-measures – use a density meter to check the density. There are meters available that can measure the true quantity o the uel being delivered. Coriolis meters provide continuous, on-line measurement o mass low rate, volume low rate, density, temperature, and batch totals – all rom a single device. Coriolis meters have no moving parts or obstructions in contact with the luid being measured and require little maintenance, low conditioning or straight pipe runs. Unlike volume measurement, mass measurement is independent o operating pressure and temperature, which obviates the need or error-prone density conversions. For highly viscous luids where entrained gas and air is unable to escape, direct mass low measurement can perorm per orm better than volumetric meters and tank gauges. The Coriolis meter will give a more accurate measurement o the quantity o uel oil delivered. These meters can be expensive and may require system piping modiications. Combating the cappuccino eect or bunkers Beore loading bunkers rom a barge, the ollowing checks should be carried out in addition to the ship’s bunkering procedure: board the bunker barge and veriy, by sounding the barge’s uel oil cargo tanks and using corresponding sounding tables, the quantity o uel onboard the barge beore bunkering commences i possible, obtain drat readings o the bunker barge beore pumping begins check the sounding tape when sounding the uel tanks both on the barge and during bunkering or any evidence o air bubbles in the uel ask to see the barge’s cargo pump that will be used or uel delivery and check or any suspect air connections. These may be quite small ask the crew how they intend to blow the lines ater completion o bunkering and ask to inspect this arrangement beore starting uel transer, transer, to limit the opportunity to introduce air with the oil lowing check the barge’s lowmeter lowmeter reading and conirm that the calibration certiicate is or the meter in question and is valid. Conirm that the meter’s meter’s calibration seal is intact check or suspicious lowmeter recirculation recirculation lines. These may be small but can have a big impact on the quantity received onboard

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during bunkering, monitor every 30 minutes the quality o the uel coming onboard by using the bunker sampling point. Check the uel or any rothing (see picture below) which is indicative o air entrapment i rothing is suspected, board the barge and ask to see the line-blowing arrangement. I this has been used it may still be connected, and the compressed air piping ater the air isolation valve may be cold. This may be an indication that it has been recently opened ater completion, board the bunker barge and veriy, by sounding the barge’s barge’s uel oil cargo tanks and checking the corresponding sounding tables, and calculate the quantity o uel remaining on the barge. Dierence rom initial soundings to inal soundings should give a good indication o the quantity o uel o-loaded rom the barge i possible, obtain a reading o the drat o the bunker barge ater pumping is complete ask to see the barge’s drat tables and roughly calculate the dierence in drats rom bunker start to bunker completion, and use the table to convert to tonnage. This will give a rough measure o the quantity o uel discharged

^ Check bunkers for signs of frothing

List and trim Sometimes the barge may have a list or trim and no correction tables are available. available. It is possible that in these circumstances the trim or list is to the advantage o the supplier and the purported amount o uel on board is more than that which exists. The dierence between the apparent and actual uel oil on board can be considerable, especially i the tanks have a large ree surace area. cor rection tables are available or inspection beore taking Counter measures – I no trim correction uel oil delivery or gauging tanks, it may be prudent to make a written writ ten comment stating that ‘no trim correction tables were sighted’. This can be countersigned by the bunker barge master. Temperature The temperature o the uel oil is important impor tant as it aects a ects the volume delivered. I the declared temperature is lower than the actual temperature this means that less uel oil is actually delivered. For the supplier, ‘gaining’ a ew degrees Centigrade means gaining a ew tonnes.

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Counter measures – check and record the temperature during the initial gauging and periodically until completion. Calibration tables It is not unknown or duplicate barge tables to be used. At irst sight these appear to be in order but have, in act, been modiied to the advantage o the supplier. supplier. Inserted pages, photocopies, corrections, dierent print and paper types are all indications o tampering. Counter measures – check i the tables are original or a copy – issue a letter o protest i unsure. Water I 1,000 tonnes o uel is bunkered and it contains 1% water, it is eectively just 990 tonnes o uel. A loss o 10 tonnes o uel resulting rom water content is a loss o approximately $7,0004. Water may be mixed with the uel oil just beore the bunkering takes place. ‘Sealed’ samples are taken rom the barge beore the water is introduced and used as ‘oicial’ supplier samples. Another trick is not using water-detecting water-detecting paste on the sounding tape. Water-detecting paste can be used or distillate uel deliveries but does not work with black residual uels as you cannot see the colour change. Sometimes an incorrect alternative paste is used, like chrome cleaner, which looks and smells the same, but does not change colour on contact with water. It is also possible that the supplier o uel oil to the bunker barge has given the barge excess water. This can then be passed on to the customer who will be unaware o water being present. Bunker barges normally bunker uel rom the por t oil terminals. The detection o excess water water depends on the eectiveness o their procedures and checklists. Salt water is sometimes delivered with uels as a result o contamination by the bunker barge. There are many potential causes o this including ballast water contamination, structural deects and incorrect valve operation. A common source o sea water ingress is ballast water entering the ship’s ship’s bunker tank via a corroded sounding pipe. One o the main concerns over sea water contamination o uel is that a chemical reaction between the sodium (salt) compounds in the water and the vanadium compounds in the uel during combustion may cause high temperature corrosion (hot end corrosion). The vanadium and sodium oxidise during combustion, which causes sticky, low-melting point salts which adhere to exhaust valves, valve valve seats and turbocharger turbine blades which in turn attract other combustion deposits leading to mechanical damage. It should be noted that the ISO 8217:2010 standards state that the maximum allowable water content or all heavy uel oils should be not greater than 0.5%. Excessive water water represents a triple loss. Firstly, Firstly, there is the loss o speciic energy in the uel which will aect the uel consumption. Secondly, there is the cost o disposing o the water removed by the treatment system. Such water is unlikely to pass through a 15 PPM oily water separator, so it has to be retained or disposal later, with a cost to the ship operator. Thirdly, Thirdly, water will damage uel injection equipment, cause corrosion and ailure o exhaust valves and turbochargers. Counter-measures – check using ‘Water in Oil’ test. Issue a letter o protest i the percentage o water content is more than stated on the bunker delivery receipt.

4 Fuel price as o February 2012. 2012.

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There are other less sophisticated, underhand methods o reducing the real quantity o uel oil delivered. These include ‘unoicial’ piping between the storage tanks and other un-nominated tanks, such as coerdams or void spaces. undamentally, the care, diligence and training o the sta responsible Counter-measures – undamentally, or uel oil deliveries. The purchaser should obtain speciication acceptance by the uel supplier. Summary uel oil purchasers need to advise the ship’s ship’s sta which grade o uel they will receive and how it will be transerred uels rom dierent deliveries should be segregated as ar as practicable all receiving uel oil tanks need to be gauged and the results recorded prior to taking delivery o uel do not sign any documentation until you have witnessed the event reerred to in the document i the origin and method by which the supplier’s sample was obtained is unknown then when signing or it, add the words ‘or ‘ or receipt only – source unknown’ uel oil samples should be taken by continuous-drip method throughout the bunkering i the uel oil delivered is supplied by more than one barge, a sample should be taken o each uel oil rom the supplying barges sign the bunker delivery receipt only or volume delivered. I the supplier insists on a signature or weight add ‘or volume only – weight to be determined ater density testing o representative sample’ •

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Completion Post-bunkering procedures Ater pumping pumping is is complet completed, ed, the the bunke bunkerr supplie supplierr may may want want to blow blow the line through through with with compressed air to ensure that all the uel is out o the line beore disconnection at the bunker maniold. It is critical to be aware o the saety implications o this line-blowing, and thereore: ensure that pipe disconnection has not commenced beore line-blowing ensure that no system valves have been closed beore line-blowing take care in the vicinity o the bunker pipe as it may move violently during line-blowing be aware that during disconnection a highly lammable oil mist may be present in the bunker line caused by the blowing-though action. All saety precautions are to be ollowed closely • • • •

Ater pumping pumping and and line-bl line-blowi owing, ng, the uel quantity quantity receiv received ed must must be checked checked and and verii veriied ed by by using the ship’s normal methods, such as gauges, soundings, ullages, and lowmeter. When the chie engineer is satisied s atisied that the quantity received is correct then the bunker delivery receipt can be signed either by that oicer or by the master. master. The post-bunker checklist is as ollows: 1. bunker valve closed 2. disconnect hose (drain and/or blow through beore beore disconnecting) disconnecting) 3. check barge or road road tanker meter readings 4. check ship’s ship’s meter reading reading and soundings or or quantity veriication 5. sign Bunker Delivery Receipt5 BDR 5 The Bunker Delivery Receipt as speciied in appendix V to MARPOL Annex VI, is to contain at least: name and IMO number o receiving ship, port, date o commencement o delivery, name, address and telephone number o marine uel oil supplier, product name(s), quantity (metric tons), density at 15 deg. C (kg/m3 ), sulphur sulphur content (%) and a declaration signed and certiied by the uel oil supplier’s representative that the uel oil supplied is in conormity with regulation 14.1 or 14.4 14.4 and regulation 18.3 o MARPOL Annex VI.

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6. retain BDR with product sample 7. return SOPEP to bridge 8. clean-up equipment stowed back in in the correct place 9. bravo lag/red light stowed and switched o o 10. remove and pack away warning and saety signs 11. oam ire extinguisher extinguish er placed back in correct corre ct location 12. complete Oil Record Book and conirm bunkering is complete 13. master ma ster inormed o completion

Sampling and analysis There have been many claims involving bunkered uel that ailed to meet the required minimum speciications and caused engine breakdown breakdown and damage. Remember that 500 tonnes o uel, considered a small delivery, may cost $315,000 $315,000 and the analysis ee is normally around $600. $6 00. Fuel testing should not be seen by the shipowner as an avoidable expense, but a orm o low cost insurance. One the most important aspects o taking bunkers is uel oil sampling. This covers the method o taking the sample, the location, and ormal witnessing. The importance o a suitably drawn and witnessed representative oil sample cannot be over-emphasised. over-emphasised. It orms the basis o all discussion, debate or dispute resolution relating to the bunkering. The most common and most economic means o obtaining a representative sample is by using a drip type sampler, as pictured below. below.

A

B

C

Maximum width of Bunker Sampler BOLT HOLES FLANGE

BUNKER SAMPLER

MUST t between the ange holes and have a diameter larger than the inner pipe diameter (B).

^ Bunker sampling device

^ Fuel oil sampler and cubitainer™ photo supplied by KITTIWAKE

Fuel oil sample collection The tube within the sampler and sample valve should always be cleaned beore use. This can be achieved by removing the tube, simply lushing it with a clean distillate uel and allowing it to drain thoroughly beore installing. The use o low lashpoint solvents is not recommended or cleaning the sampler. The tube should always be installed with the holes acing the direction o low. (See picture o uel oil sampler and cubitainer).

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When bunkering starts, place a container under the sampler, open the sampler valve ully and lush the sampler with uel. It is good practice to check this sample rom uel initially pumped onboard as it may be high in water content rom the bunker barge’s tanks. Ater lushing lushing the sampler sampler,, close close the valve valve and and attach attach a suitable suitable clean container container to the valve. valve. Adjust Adjust the the needle needle valve valve to to give give a slow slow and stead steadyy drip. drip. Time Time the ill rate so that that itit will will prov provide ide or suicient estimated sample over the expected delivery period.

^ MARPOL sample point showing cubitainer attached

I the sample container ills during the bunkering period, remove it and place an empty sample container (Cubitainer) on the sampler and continue to draw a sample. On completion o bunkering, mix together the samples rom both containers to ensure you have a good, representative sample rom the bunkering operation. • •

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always ensure that the sampler valve is ully open to allow the sampler to drain always close the sampler valve beore blowing through the uel lines on completion o bunkering close the sampler valve i pumping stops, to prevent the sample being drawn back, under vacuum, into the uel line

Select three or our clean sample bottles. The exact number depends on the inal destination o the various samples. To cover all eventualities, it is recommended that our representative samples are obtained rom the delivery. The distribution o the samples being: supplier’s sample (rom their MARPOL connection) ship’s sample or retention on board onboard analysis sample sample or independent analysis

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The ull Cubitainer should be placed in the pourer box and thoroughly shaken to ensure that the contents are well mixed. Attach the pourer spout and gradually transer the contents into the sample bottles, illing each a little at a time. I more than one Cubitainer was used during bunkering, then transer a por tion into each o the bottles. Complete the document labels and attach one to each sample bottle. Always Always have have the barge operator operator to witness witness the the remov removal al and and sealing sealing o the sample sample bottle( bottle(s) s) (shown below). below). I this request is reused, or i no witness is provided, then note this in the delivery log. Bunker collection, sampling and storage guidelines are provided in Annex VI o MARPOL 73/78 and have been deined by MEPC 96(47), which states that: “A retained sample of all fuel oils as supplied, is drawn at the ship’s receiving manifold, sealed, sealed, signed signed on behalf of the supplier supplier and and the the Master Master or ship’ ship’ss officer officer in charge charge of the bunkering bunkering operation. operation. The retained retained sample sample is to to be kept under the ship’s ship’s control control until until the subject subject fuel fuel has been subst substanti antially ally consumed, consumed, but in any any case for at least least 12 month monthss from from the date of delivery.”

^ Fuel oil sampling bottle photo supplied by KITTIWAKE

It is important to remember that this sample is to be used solely to determine compliance with Annex VI o MARPOL 73/78 and cannot be used or commercial purposes. However However,, samples can be drawn at the same time or other purposes. Summary a representative sample is undamental or all later testing a continuous drip manual sampler is the proven method or eective sampling the sample must be witnessed by all parties: the supplier’s representative as well as the recipient/ship the point or custody transer is usually the ship’s bunker maniold careul measurements during delivery will produce savings samples should be handled and stored careully – they may be the only evidence in the event o a claim IMO MARPOL Annex VI requires you to store the sample or at least 12 months and the Bunker Delivery Receipt or three years. • • •

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Onboard testing Fuel oil testing by a reputable analysis company is something that is carried out on most ships which bunker heavy uel oil. Sometimes, however, however, a delay in receiving results o the analysis, or misplacing or loss o the samples, has resulted in the use o uel that has caused serious problems. This is where basic onboard uel testing can greatly assist is identiying potential uel problems beore use and long beore the shore analysis results are received. I, or whatever whatever reason, a company decides that uel analysis is not necessary, necessar y, a ull and ormal risk analysis should be carried carr ied out to test that decision. The relatively minor costs o regular uel oil analysis, compared to the price o the uel, ar outweigh the potential damage and costs associated with mechanical ailure caused by poor uel quality. Conducting representative sampling, laboratory analysis and onboard testing provides an eective tool to identiy poor quality uel and a way o avoiding serious operational problems and expensive mechanical repairs. There are numerous uel testing organisations that oer good advice and equipment or uel testing onboard. Below is an example o three onboard tests that can be carried out on uel oil during or immediately ater bunkering to determine uel density, uel compatibility and water content. Fuel density The density meter is suitable or diesel and residual uel oils. It is used to conirm the quantity o uel delivered, veriy that the correct grade o uel has been delivered, estimate the combustion perormance (Calculated Carbon Aromaticity Index – CCAI), and correct viscosity in Centipoise (cP) or Centistokes (cst). The density meter measures density using a hydrometer dropped in warmed oil. Most oils can be measured at 50ºC, but or very viscous uel oils the units can be set to warm to 70ºC. There is a calculator eature, eature, which allows the reading to be adjusted to show density at 15ºC in a vacuum. I the viscosity is known in Centistokes or Centipoise the calculator will display the CCAI. The density meter uses hydrometers to measure the density o marine uels corrected to kg/m3 at 15°C. With this inormation and the viscosity o the uel, the density meter can determine: mass o uel delivered caloriic value anticipated combustion perormance (CCAI) •

^ Density meter photo supplied by KITTIWAKE

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Compatibility tester The oil compatibility tester is very useul or testing uel oils. This equipment is an extremely helpul tool or engineers aced with the necessity to mix or blend residual uel oil. As a general principle, principle, bunkere bunkered d uel oil should not be used or mixed with existing uel oil onboard until the uel oil analysis results have been received. The oil compatibility tester will: conirm that the uel delivery will remain stable in the bunker tanks identiy possible uel stability problems beore mixing uels help prevent sludge deposits, ailure o uel handling systems and costly combustion-related combustion-related engine damage

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^ Compatibility tester photo supplied by KITTIWAKE

Water in oil test kit The digital water in oil test/analysis kit is one method used or onboard testing. The kit provides digital analysis and gives accurate results or monitoring trends. It can be used or determining water in all uel oils and lubricating oils, and will: prevent corrosion, cavitation or ailure o your machinery by detecting water in oil, beore any damage occurs minimise instability o additive packages and damaging microbe growth by monitoring your oil ully portable or use onboard ship and easy to use •

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^ Water in oil test kit photo supplied by KITTIWAKE

Fuel quality Incompatibility Whilst every uel oil is manuactured to be stable, in that it does not have the tendency to produce asphaltenic sludge, it does not ollow that two stable uels are compatible when mixed or blended. To avoid the potential problem o uels being incompatible, the recommended course o action is that mixing uel oils rom dierent sources should be avoided where practicable. A uel uel mix mix is is regarded regarded as being being stable only i itit is homogeneo homogeneous us immedia immediately tely ater preparation, remains so in normal storage and at no time produces or tends to produce sludge on a signiicant scale. I behaving in this way, the uels orming the mix can be considered compatible.

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Incompatibility Incompatibility is the tendency o a residual uel to produce a deposit on dilution or on mixing with other uel oils. Typical incompatibility problems include sludge ormation, and blockage o bunker and service tanks, pipe runs, run s, ilters and centriugal separator bowls. In extreme circumstances, the only remedy is manual removal o the sludge build-up, which is time-consuming and costly. costly. With the growing use o low sulphur uels and increased requency o bunkering, testing the stability o the uel and its compatibility or mixing is becoming increasingly important. Onboard compatibility testing is extremely simple and can take just 20 minutes. It provides engineers with inormation that can conirm that the uel delivery will remain stable in the bunker tanks, and identiy stability problems beore mixing two uels. Compatibility testing can prevent sludge deposits, eliminate ailure o uel handling systems and reduce costly combustion-related engine problems. O speciication I uel oil bunkered does not meet a certain quality standard then it is said to be ‘o spec’. The requirements or the quality o marine uel oil are detailed within ISO 8217:2010, 4th edition. This document supersedes ISO 8217: 2005, 3rd edition. ISO 8217 8217 speciies the requirements requirement s or petroleum uels or marine diesel engines and boilers, boiler s, prior to appropriate treatment beore use. It was originally drated in 1982 and came into orce in 1987. A uel’ uel’ss specii speciicatio cation n is generally generally consid considered ered less critic critical al when when burning burning poorer poorer quality quality uel in ships’ boilers because o their design, construction and operating method; however however at the beginning o the 21st 21st century motorships accounted or around 98% o the world leet. The ISO standard is regularly revised to account or engine technology development and statutory environmental requirements such as MARPOL Annex A nnex VI. Amendments in 2010 ocused on the level o used lubricating oils (ULO) within uel oils. The ISO 8217:2010 standard deines maximum and minimum values or various parameters including: density, which is required to determine puriication settings and is used to calculate the amount o uel bunkered viscosity, which is expressed as a luid’s resistance to low. In everyday terms this is ‘thickness’. ‘thickness’. Viscous (thick) uels require preheating to reduce the viscosity and enable good puriication, injection and combustion in the engine cylinder lashpoint o the uel indicates the temperature at which a uel vapour is produced and can be ignited. In accordance with SOLAS SOL AS requirements, the lash point must be above 60 degrees Celsius. (This does not apply to uel that will be used or emergency purposes such as generators, ire pumps and lieboat engines) aluminium and silicon (Catalytic ines) are remnants o the cracking process at the reinery. They are introduced as a catalyst to assist with the reining in a catalytic cracking process. These highly abrasive particles can cause rapid wear o engine components and can be diicult to remove or separate using the ship’s uel treatment equipment •

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The table below illustrates a shortened shor tened version o the new ISO 8217:201 8217:2010 0 showing the most common grades o HFO. The products are designated by a code that consists o: the initials ISO the letter F (or petroleum uels) the category o uel, consisting o three letters – the irst letter letter o this category category is always always the amily amily letter (D or or distillate distillate or R or residual) residual) – the second letter, letter, M, designates the application application ‘Marine’ – the third letter, letter, X, A, B, C, …, …, K, which indicates the the particular properties in the product speciication (ISO 821 8217), 7), or residual uels, a number which corresponds to the maximum kinematic viscosity, in mm2 /s, at 50°C 50°C – or example example a product may may be designated in the complete complete orm, e.g. ISO-F-RMG ISO-F-RMG 180, 180, or in abbreviated orm, e.g. F-RMG 180

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chararii Kinematic viscosity @ 50°C Density at 15°C CCA I Sulphur Flash point Hydrogen sulphide Acid number Total sediment aged Carbon residue: micro method Pour point Winter (upper)p quality Summer quality Water Ash Vanadium Sodium Aluminium plus silicon

Used lubricating oils (ULO)

RMD 80 80.0

RMe 180 180.0

cagry Iso-F RMG 180 380 500 180.0 380.0 500.0

RMK

Ui mm²/s (cSt) kg/m³ – Mass % °C mg/kg mg KOH/g Mass % Mass %

Limi Max

°C

Max

30

30

30

30

°C

Max

30

30

30

30

Volume % Mass % mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/k g/kg

Max Max Max Max Max –

Max Max Max Min Max Max Max Max

380 380.0

500 500.0

975.0 991.0 991.0 1010.0 860 860 870 870 Statutor y requirements (the purchaser shall define the maximum sulphur content) 60.0 60.0 60.0 60.0 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 14.00 15.00 18.00 20.00

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.070 0.070 0.100 0.100 0.150 0.150 150 150 350 450 100 50 100 100 40 50 60 60 The The fu fuel sh shall be be fr free fr from UL ULO. A fuel sh shall be be co considered to to co contai tain UL ULO wh when either one of the following conditions is met: calcium > 30 and zinc > 15; or calcium > 30 and phosphorous > 15

^ Source: ISO 8217 Fourth Edi tion 2010-06-15

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Purchasers shall ensure that this pour point is suitable or the equipment onboard, especially i the ship operates in cold climates Changes to the residual uels (six categories) rom the 2005 third edition include the ollowing: RMA 6 10 has been added (not shown in the table above) RMG and RMK have been expanded to include additional viscosity grades RMF and RMH categories have been removed the addition o the Calculated Carbon Aromaticity Index (CCAI) and speciications or the ollowing ollowing characteristics: hydrogen sulphide7, acid number and sodium content sulphur limits have not been tabulated, as these are controlled by statutory requirements potential Total Total Sediment (TSP) has been assigned as the reerence test method. accelerated Total Total Sediment (TSA) has been added as an alternative test method ash limit values have been reduced or many o the categories vanadium limit values have been reduced, with the exceptions o those or RMB 30 where the limit value is unchanged and or RMG 380 where the limit value has been slightly increased aluminium-plus-silicon aluminium-plus-silicon limit values have been reduced the criteria or assessing whether a uel contains used lubricating oil have been amended

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It should be noted that the ISO 8217 standard is occasionally reviewed by International Maritime Organization (IMO) (IMO) and thereore all concerned should check that minimum and maximum limits are rom the latest edition. Bio-derived products and Fatty Fat ty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs) I you drive a diesel vehicle in the European Union you may or may not be surprised to know that they are burning a blend o petroleum diesel and up to 7% bio-diesel, brought about by EU legislation to reduce emissions and dependence on hydrocarbon uels. USA, USA , Australia and Brazil are among countries which have mandated the use o bio-derived products in their diesel and other petroleum based uels. So does this mean that the marine industry will ollow the same path? What is meant by ‘bio-diesel’? This is a uel made or diesel engines rom a wide range o vegetable oils or animal ats. These oils and ats are put through a process p rocess enabling the product to be used in diesel engines. When expressed in chemical terms, they are known as Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME), the speciication or which is in the standard EN 14214. It is not a new discovery; in act the irst diesel engine (1893) (1893) ran on peanut oil. Acknowledg Acknowledging ing that there are potentia potentiall beneits beneits o reduced reduced emissio emissions, ns, when when using using FAME, getting it to the engine in a satisactory condition is not so simple. Characteristically, Characteristically, FAME has poor oxidation and thermal stability; stable storage duration may be as little as our weeks, although with the addition o additives, this may be extended by 6–12 months, perhaps longer. However, or most ships this would be considered too short a period. It is worth noting that the acid decomposition products o FAME are suspected o causing damage to uel pumps, injectors and piston rings. The ISO 8217:2010 standard now includes an acid test. Results o this test should be no greater than 2.5 mg KOH/g. KOH/g. This is commonly termed the acid number and is expressed in milligrams o potassium hydroxide per gram.

6 RMA, RMG and RMK is a uel grade speciication under ISO 8217 8217, the international marine uel standard. 7 The inclusion in the International Standard o an H2S in liquid phase limit o 2.00 mg/kg in the uel directly reduces the risk o H2S vapour exposure. However, it is critical that ship owners and operators continue to maintain appropriate saety processes and procedures designed to protect the crew and others (e.g. surveyors), who can be exposed to H2S vapour.

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At presen presentt there there are are no industry industry guidelin guidelines es to to address address the complicat complications ions related related to the use o FAME products as a uel on a ship. It should be noted however that the current ISO 8217: 2010 2010 marine uel standard s tandard does not allow any bio-derived bio- derived products to be blended blen ded into marine distillate or residual uels, (Clause 5.4 o ISO 8217:2010). Notwithstanding Notwithstanding that FAME FAME has good ignition, lubricity properties and perceived environmental beneits, there are potentially speciic complications complications with respect to storage and handling in a marine environment such as: a tendency to oxidation and long-term storage issues ainity to water and risk o microbial growth degraded low-temperature low-temperature low properties proper ties FAME FAME material deposition on exposed suraces, including ilter elements • • • •

The International Standard speciically reers to petroleum-derived materials, thereby excluding any bio-derived materials. However, the practice o blending FAME into automotive diesel and heating oils makes it almost inevitable, under current supply logistics, that some distillates distillates supplied in the marine market can contain FAME. Even some residual uels can contain FAME as a result o reinery processes, or blending a distillate cutterstock containing FAME. Precautionary approach There is no generalised experience with respect to the storage, handling, treatment and service perormance per ormance o FAME wit within hin the maritime industry. It is necessary necessar y to adopt the precautionary principle to address any saety concerns in this area o using either blends o FAME/petroleum products or 100% FAME. Furthermore, there are the issues as to the potential eects o FAME FAME products on the range r ange o marine engines and other equipment (oily water separators or overboard discharge monitors (ODM)). Thereore, this International Standard limits the FAME content to a ‘de minimis’ 8 level. To date, determining a ‘de minimis’ level is not straightorward given that: a wide range o FAME products rom dierent sources is available in the market varying levels o contamination can be present through the use o common equipment or pipelines in reineries, uel terminals and other supply acilities a wide range o analytical techniques is used to detect these FAME products and associated by-products with no standardised approach in most cases, suicient data are not yet available on the eects o FAME products on marine uel systems • •

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For the purpose o the International Standard: in the case o distillate uels (DMX, DMA, DMZ and DMB when clear and bright), it is recommended that ‘de minimis’ be taken as not exceeding approximately 0.1% volume when determined in accordance with EN 14078 in the case o DMB when it is not clear and bright and all categories o residual uels, uels , ‘de minimis’ cannot be expressed in numerical terms since no test method with a ormal precision statement is currently available. Thus, it should be treated as contamination rom the supply chain system

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8 So small or minimal in dierence that it does not matter or the law law does not take it into consideration.

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Fuel producers and suppliers should ensure that adequate controls are in place so that the resultant uel, as delivered, is compliant with the requirements o Clause 5 o the International Standard 8217:2010. Catalytic ines Heavy cycle oil is used worldwide in complex reining as a blending component or heavy uel. Mechanically damaged catalyst particles (aluminium silicate) silicate) cannot be removed completely in a cost-eective way way,, and are ound in blended heavy uel. Correct uel puriying and iltration onboard ships have a removal eiciency o approximately 80 to 90% or catalytic ines. In order to avoid abrasive wear o uel pumps, injectors and cylinder liners, the maximum limit or aluminium and silicon deined in ISO 8217: 8217: 2010 is 40– 60 mg/kg depending on the viscosity. There are, however, however, still reported repor ted problems with catalytic ines especially in low sulphur uels. How can we explain this? More eicient methods during the reinery process have led to the size o the catalytic ines reducing. This creates a problem or the shipboard puriier to remove them eectively, as the puriier relies on gravity or separation o the ines. Consequently some o the small ines are passing through to engines and still causing damage. Sludge Sludge is a contaminant that results rom the handling, mixing, blending, and pumping o heavy uel while stored at, and ater it leaves, the reinery. Storage tanks, heavy uel pipe lines, and barging can all contribute to the build-up o sludge. Water contamination o a high asphaltene uel oil can produce an emulsion during uel handling which can contain more than 50% water. water. Shipboard transer pumps can requently provide the necessary energy to produce emulsiied sludges during normal uel transers. These emulsiied sludges can cause rapid ouling and shutdown o centriugal puriiers, clogging o strainers and ilters in the uel oil system and rapid r apid ouling i burned in the engine. Fibres Fibre contamination can cause signiicant problems in uel handling onboard ships. This type o contamination usually occurs during transpor t and storage. Fibres can plug suction strainers protecting pumps, within minutes o initial operation. Whereas cleaning strainers is not a diicult task, the requency o cleaning and the need or round-the-clock attention generally create problems with the allocation o manpower. manpower. A centriuge normally is ineective in removing oil soaked ibres because they have the same density as the oil being puriied. Hence, downstream manual or auto-strainers and ine ilters can be expected to clog quickly, and continue to clog requently until the entire amount o a ibre contaminated uel has been consumed or removed.

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Oxidation products This orm o contamination is the result o the marine residual uel ageing, either beore or ater it is bunkered. Residual uels are not stable or long periods at elevated storage storage temperatures. The time rom the reinery to use onboard ideally should be less than three months. It is anticipated that uture residual uels resulting rom more intense secondary processing will be even less stable. Heated heavy uels, stored in uncoated steel tanks and exposed to air (oxygen) will oxidise oxidise and polymerise with time. The resultant sludges, gums and resins will initially orm in solution and then collect and settle or adhere to the tank’s suraces. Also, as heavy uels age, their shipboard conditioning and treatment become more diicult. In the extreme, the diesel engine’s engine’s combustion process can deteriorate, causing increased ouling deposits and corrosion, as a result o burning such partially par tially oxidised older uel oils. Generally, Generally, residual uel oils should not be bunkered or utilised as ballast, trim, or held in reserve or extended periods. The oldest on spec uel on the ship should be burned irst to prevent any heavy uel oil rom ageing beyond three months rom its bunkering date. Microbial contamination Microbial contamination usually occurs with jacket water systems, diesel uels and lubricating oils onboard ship. However, there have been instances where HFO and IFO have been contaminated. Microbes Microbes in uel are bacteria, yeasts or moulds. They are normally o the hydrocarbon degrading and corrosive species. 1. they need water, water, nutrients nutrie nts and warmth warmth to grow 2. microbes live live in the water phase, phase, but eed eed o nutrients in the uel uel phase 3. microbes dislike dislike agitation, preerring a dormant uel system Sources o microbial contamination 1. imported inested inested hydrocarbons hydrocarbons rom reineries or or bunker bunker barges 2. residues remaining remaining onboard onboard rom previous bunker barge operation operation 3. sea water There will always be a risk o contamination to shipboard residual uel rom one o the ollowing: 1. load port contamination contamina tion o storage tanks 2. load port delivery piping 3. cargo tanks o the ship 4. pump room o the ship 5. sea water ingress

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The latest microbe species have spawned new types o bacteria in uels, which produce sticky polysaccharide polymers very similar to cling-ilm. This clogs ilters by trapping particles. Microbial attack over time will degrade the uel, reducing its caloriic value. Waste products such as hydrogen sulphide will cause the cloud point and thermal stability o the uel to be aected and a stable water haze will be created. Eventually Eventually the uel will ail speciication tests or water separation. Prevention The irst point to note is that low numbers o microbes will ALWAYS ind their way into a uel system. I they reproduce slowly they will not accumulate. I a large inestation occurs the potential or trouble will be established. Physical prevention Water is the key ingredient to tackle. 1. assess uel tank drainage systems 2. implement an an eective water drainage programme programme as a part o normal watchkeeping watchkeeping routines 3. implement quarterly quarterly cleaning and chemical disinection o uel systems, puriiers, ilters and coalescers 4. isolate service tanks against suspect uel i possible 5. implement a uel tank inspection schedule schedule or bio-ilm and corrosion damage 6. eradicate microbial levels on a regular basis 7. monitor uel suppliers’ supplier s’ quality 8. send o quarterly sam samples ples o the HFO service and settling tank or laboratory analysis Decontamination Microbes do not die naturally. They must be killed or removed, and all o the ollowing are possible approaches: 1. settling: microbes microbes are denser denser than uel and will settle at the the bottom o a tank 2. centriugal: microbes subjected subjected to to centriugal orces will will separate separate out 3. heat: microbes exposed to heat in excess o 70°C will be killed 4. pumping out the tank ashore and hand-cleaning hand-cleaning the tank’s surace using a manuacturer’s manuacturer’s recommended disinectant Identiying microbial attack Routine sampling and microbiological testing is the only eective way to detect and identiy the presence and activity o microbes. Ready-to-use and onboard cargo uel should be tested weekly. Water phase samples rom storage tanks or engine room tanks should be taken and i inected uel is detected, action should be taken. Proessional assistance should be sought i microbial contamination develops and the use o biocides is necessary as part par t o the treatment process.

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Fuel additives Biocides •

•

•

•

they should be chemically compatible with the uel, the machinery and the system components moderately contaminated contaminated uels can be used ater dosing, providing the biocide has been circulated ully severely contaminated uels will have sediment ater dosing with biocides. These deposits and sludges must be removed by physical decontamination to prevent blocked uel systems seek advice rom the bunker uel analysing company and/or the ship’s chemicals supplier

Bunker system maintenance Bunker lines are to be pressure tested annually under static liquid pressure o at least 1.5 times the maximum allowable working pressure. It is recommended to stencil the pressure test rating and date o test on the bunker pipeline. Overlow and high level alarms (where itted) are to be tested and recorded as par t o the ship’s ship’s planned maintenance alarm testing routines. Bunker valves are to be checked or correct operation, and glands inspected and lubricated to ensure that they are ree to operate. This should be incorporated into the ship’s ship’s planned maintenance system. Remotely operated valves should also be incorporated into the planned maintenance routines to ensure that they are opening eectively, eectively, actuators are not leaking and micro-switches are not loose or deective.

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04

DocUMentAtIon

Charterparty clauses When a ship is on voyage charter, the owner remains responsible or the provision o bunkers unless otherwise agreed. However, where the ship is on time charter then it is the charterers who are responsible or providing and paying or the uel. Owners must be vigilant when negotiating the wording o charterparty charterpart y clauses relating to bunker uel supply. Matters can become complicated when a charterer char terer is contractually positioned between the bunker supplier and the shipowner. I there is a complaint about uel quality, there may be proceedings between the charterer (as uel purchaser) and bunkers supplier, or between the shipowner and charterer under the charterparty. charterpar ty. The shipowner shipowner may also proceed against the bunker supplier. The standard types o charterparties char terparties contain clauses regarding bunkers which should address the ollowing: quantity o bunkers on delivery/redelivery delivery/redelivery saety o the place and location where the ship bunkers ownership o the bunkers at the end o the charter period quality charterer’s • • • • •

Note that the ship’s ship’s description or particulars which is oten attached to the charterparty must be accurate. This includes the quantity o bunker space available at say 90% capacity. Quantity Many charterparties contain a clause setting out the quantity or approximate approximate quantity o bunkers that should be onboard the ship at the time o delivery/redelivery, delivery/redelivery, + or – a margin. This quantity is assessed at the time o delivery or redelivery by either an o hire/on hire survey or by using ship igures. Saety o the place where the ship bunkers Most charterparties contain a clause that the ship is to be employed in lawul trades between sae ports. A sae port is normally termed as ollows: “A port will not be safe unless, in the relevant period of time, the ship can reach it, use it and return from it witho without, ut, in the the absence absence of some abnormal abnormal occurren occurrence, ce, being exposed exposed to to danger which cannot be avoided by good navigation and seamanship.” The issue o a sae place or bunkering can be at times problematical. Oten bunkers can only be taken in speciied locations authorised by the port. These locations may not be suitable because o congestion or weather exposure, or example. The master should be irm in only accepting to arrange bunkers in a sae location. Ownership o the bunkers at the end o charter period All time time charterparty charterparty orms orms will will provide provide that charterers charterers are are to to take take over over and pay pay or the uel onboard the ship at the time o delivery and owners are to do likewise likewise at the time o redelivery. Typical wording is as ollows: “Charterers shall accept and pay for all the bunkers onboard at the time of delivery, and owners shall on redelivery (whether it occurs at the end of the charter period or on the earlier termination of the charter) char ter) accept and pay for all bunkers b unkers remaining onboard.”

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Quality This is probably the most common area or complaint. A typical wording is as ollows: ollows: “The charterers shall supply bunkers of a quality suitable for burning in the ship’s engines and auxiliaries auxiliaries and which which confo conform rm to the ISO 821 8217 4th 4th Edition. Edition. The owners reserve their right to make a claim against the charterers for any damage to the main engines engines or the auxiliaries auxiliaries caused by the use of unsuitabl unsuitable e fuels fuels or or fuels fuels not not comply complying ing with the ISO 8217 4th Edition standards or which otherwise prove unsuitable for burning in the ship’s ship’s engines or auxiliaries. The owners shall not be held responsible for any reduction in the the ship ship’s ’s speed performan performance ce and/ and/or or increased increased bunker bunker consum consumptio ption, n, nor nor for for any any time time lost lost and other other consequ consequences. ences.” ” Another Another typical typical clause clause relate relatess to uel oil sampling sampling and analys analysis: is: “Three samples of all fuel shall be taken during delivery, sealed and signed by suppliers, Chief Engineer and Charterers’ Charterer s’ agent, each of whom should retain one sample. If any claim should should arise arise in in respect respect of the quality quality or specificat specification ion of the the fuel fuel supplied, supplied, the Owners Owners and and Charterers agree to have samples of the fuel analysed by a mutually agreed analyst.” analyst.” The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) provide guidance on bunker quality clauses including bunker uel sulphur content clauses. Charterers A charterer charterer will also want to ensure that the bunkers bunkers remain remaining ing on board board ater ater delivery delivery conorm to the ISO 8217 4th Edition uel speciications. This should be included in the charterparty, otherwise the charterer char terer may be held liable or any subsequent damages that arise rom the use o existing bunkers on board. Charterers should also consider that uel oil analysis is carried out on residual uels bunkered which should not be used until a positive uel oil analysis has been received. Summary A bunker bunker quality quality control control clause clause should should be be drated drated careully careully and take take into into account account:: bunker uel speciications or both residual uel oils and diesel uels stipulations on delivery receipts and number o samples to be taken, sealing procedure and time o retention owner’s owner’s reservation o right to claim or damages caused by the use o unsuitable uel oil supplied • •

•

Reer to BIMCO Bunker Quality Control Clause or Time Chartering Char tering or example. Ships trading in areas where bunker grades are diicult to obtain require careul consideration as to the bunker clause. In many outlying parts where uels are blended on the bunker barge, the quality may be suspect. As previously mentioned, uel oils should not be mixed with existing bunkers onboard and not used until an acceptable uel oil analysis report has been received.

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Bunker Supply Contracts The supply o bunkers is agreed between the supplier and the ship operator on a separate contract to the charter party. par ty. The ship operator (charterer or owner) will enter into contractual relations with the supplier usually based on the supplier’s supplier’s standard terms. BIMCO has published standard conditions or the supply o bunkers. These contracts however however have gained little traction within the industry. Nonetheless they may act as an appropriate guide or the bunker purchaser during negotiations. Caution is to be exercised in accepting standard terms during negotiations o bunker supply contracts as they are usually particularly onerous on the purchaser. purchaser. These terms will commonly contain provisions relating to limitation o liability, the time within which claims must be brought against the supplier and the manner in which sampling o the bunkers take place. 1. Limitation o liability Standard terms and conditions will oten aim to minimise the liability that can be attributed to the bunker supplier or example: “In no event shall Seller’s liability for any claim or claims arising arising under under this contract contract related related to to a particular particular nomina nomination tion exceed exceed in the aggregate aggregate the sum of $300 $300,000 ,000..” 2. Time bar Standard terms and conditions nearly always stipulate stipulate a time limit within which claims should be brought. These time bars should pose no real problem in questions o quantity as this should be ascertainable ollowing bunkering operations. However, However, this is not the case in quality disputes where o speciication bunkers may aect the perormance o the engine over a longer period o time. 3. Manner in which sampling o bunkers takes place One o the most important aspects o the bunkering procedure is sampling. As may be expected sampling is a highly contentious subject oten leading to disputes between the parties involved. On the operator’s side, there is a clear preerence or sampling to take place at the receiving ship’s bunker maniold, maniold, which it is elt gives the least possibility o tampering. Bunker suppliers on the other hand will almost always insist upon barge samples.

Bunkering instructions The company saety management system must include instructions and procedures or bunkering. Risk assessments must be carried out prior to bunkering. The risk assessment should be reviewed regularly as considered it by the company. The ship’s chie engineer should have posted the bunkering instructions at the bunker station or all parties involved to read. It is usual or these instructions to be included in the bunker plan. Good practice should ensure that these instructions are read and ully understood beore any bunkering commences.

Oil Record Book An Oil Record Book (ORB) (ORB) Part Part I must must be carried on board board every every oil oil tank tanker er o 150 150 gross gross tons tons and above and every other ship o 400 gross tons and above to record relevant machinery space operations. In addition, oil tankers o 150 gross tons and above shall carry an Oil Record Book Part II to record cargo and ballast operations. Owners, masters and oicers are reminded that, in addition to statutory requirements concerning maintenance o an ORB, this record is a valuable means o providing proo that the ship has complied with anti-pollution regulations. In the past the club’s surveyors have noted that this subject does not seem to be either well deined or ully understood by ships’ oicers or MARPOL inspectors. IMO guidance on entries in the ORB has been somewhat ambiguous, although rom January 2007 this was changed.

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Clear guidance should be given to ship’s personnel on how to complete correctly the ORB. The club suggests that a standard ormat or entries is adopted by the owner’s ships to try to avoid the possibility o ines rom Port Por t State Control (PSC) or others or incorrect record keeping. A compreh comprehensiv ensive e listing listing o machin machinery ery space space items items to to be recorded recorded in in the the ORB, ORB, is included included in Appendix Appendix III III o o Annex Annex 1 to to MARPOL MARPOL 73/78 73/78 as amended. amended. All entrie entriess in the ORB must must be in ink. ink. Writing Writing in pencil pencil in any any log log record record should should be avoided, avoided, and all entries should be made at the time o the operation to avoid mistakes. When making entries in the ORB, the date, operational letter code and item number should be inserted in the appropriate columns and the required particulars shall be recorded chronologically in the blank spaces. The entries in the ORB, or ships holding an IOPP Certiicate, should be at least in English, French or Spanish. Where entries in the oicial language o the state whose lag the ship is entitled to ly are also used, this shall prevail in case o a dispute or discrepancy. The ORB should be readily available or inspection at all reasonable times and, except in the case o unmanned ships under tow, tow, should be kept on the ship. It should be preserved preser ved or three years ater the last entry has been made. Each completed operation should be signed or and dated by the oicer or oicers in charge and each completed page shall be countersigned by the master o the ship. The ORB contains many reerences to oil quantity. The limited accuracy o tank measurement devices, temperature variations, and clingage9 will aect the accuracy o these readings. The entries in the ORB should be considered accordingly. The areas o most concern to the club are the entries required re quired when: related to oil residue (sludge and other residues) retained onboard the ship transerring or disposing o oil residues operating the oily water separator, when non-automatic disposal methods are used transerring and collecting bilge water to the bilge tanks and any oil residue (sludge) content o the bilges related to other operations required under Section (I), that is removal o any bilge or oily water separator piping or valves or maintenance purposes

• • • •

•

The chie engineer is responsible or ensuring that the ORB is correctly maintained. Althou Although gh some some comp compani anies es may may dele delegat gate e this this to the second second or irst irst engi engineer neer,, the the res respons ponsibi ibility lity should still lie with the chie engineer. The master however should regularly check the ORB to see that it is correct. The master is required to sign the ORB ater each page is completed but a visual check beore every port entry is recommended. This important document, i not accurately completed, can lead to the ship’s master and/or chie engineer being ined or detained. It should be noted that all entries in the ORB must be wholly true and accurate. Fines or alsiying ORB entries can be greater than $2m and result in imprisonment.

9 Oil adhering to the wall o a tank ater the tank has been pumped and drained.

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DocUMentAtIon

Bunker receipts Clause 18 o MARPOL Annex VI requires that all uel oil received by a ship must be accompanied by a bunker delivery receipt. The bunker delivery receipt should be kept on the ship and readily available or inspection at all reasonable times. It should be retained or three years ater the uel has been delivered. Clause 18 o MARPOL Annex VI also requires that the bunker delivery receipt must be accompanied by a representative sample o uel oil sealed and signed by the supplier. The bunker delivery receipt is to be signed by the bunker barge master and the chie engineer or master o the ship receiving uel oil. It is normally stamped with the oicial stamp o the ship and/or barge. Because the chie engineer normally does not have access to an accurate, laboratorydetermined uel density igure (this will be ascer tained by laboratory analysis o the bunker sample or by use o certiied onboard test equipment), the bunker delivery receipt should be completed using only igures or the volume o uel oil loaded. The chie engineer should sign only documentation stating “for volume at observed temperature only” as only” as there can be no certainty o any weight igures or the uel loaded. I uel oil is taken in a country that has not ratiied MARPOL Annex VI, the supplier is not required to issue a bunker delivery receipt that complies with MARPOL requirements. However, However, the ship may require suitable documentation to satisy port state control oicers at subsequent ports. The recommended procedure i such a situation arises is that the master should notiy the port state authorities at the port where the uel oil was taken, and the ship’s lag state, and keep a copy o such notiication notiication on board to produce to oicials at subsequent port por t state inspections. A bunker bunker delivery delivery receipt receipt and representative representative uel sample sample should should be obtained obtained whenever possible.

Letters o protest It is important that, in the event o a bunker quantity dispute arising, the master o the receiving ship issues a letter o protest as quickly as possible. Such a letter o protest should include but not be limited to the ollowing points: date and time uel oil was loaded name o ship receiving the uel oil volume shortage grade o uel oil loaded (or thought to have been loaded) percentage shortage in relation to the order name o bunker supplier name o bunker barge or shore acility bunker delivery receipt reerence number • • • • • • • •

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The letter o protest should be signed by the master and/or the chie engineer. It should be directed to the barge master or shore representative and copied to the ollowing interested parties: shipowner or manager charterer (i time charter uel oil) organisation or laboratory analysing the uel oil bunker supplier bunker broker • • • • •

The letter o protest should also be signed, i possible by the barge master or shore representative and properly stamped with the ship and barge oicial stamps. Many bunker suppliers incorporate very very short shor t time bars in their contracts and it is vital that any protest is registered within the speciied time rame. It may be very diicult to determine uel oil quality within the time bars, which can be as short as 24 hours.

Fuel oil analysis reports The beneit o a complete and accurate shoreside analysis can be summarised as ollows: 1. conirmation that that bunkers as received meet purchase speciications (or do not meet specs, as the case may be) 2. provides warning o contaminant contamina nt levels, incompatibility, excessive water content, etc 3. enables engineers to to adopt suitable strategies strategies or proper utilisation utilisation o the uel 4. provides permanent independent third-party third-party report (analysis) (analysis) o uel oil oil received and enables owner to claim against bunker supplier in case o ailure to meet purchase speciications or in case o delivery o unmarketable product 5. shoreside laboratory laboratory will normally normally alert owner to any unusual or potentially potentially damaging characteristics or uel oil and will suggest countermeasure strategies The single most important constraint in this process is time. It is highly desirable to have the results o the shoreside analysis available to the owner (and, o course, cour se, the ship’s engineer) beore the uel is to be used and the damage done. Normal practice requires that new bunkers are segregated rom existing bunkers to the greatest extent possible. An eicient eicient shoreside shoreside laboratory laboratory should should be able to complete complete a sample sample analysis analysis and and transmi transmitt advice o results within 24 hours o receiving the sample. The proper management o the dispatch and routing o the sample is o great importance to avoid delay in obtaining the results. In general, it is preerable to use one shoreside laboratory using known and accepted analytical techniques rather than a variety o laboratories around the world. This will avoid slight anomalies in the sample results by using dierent analysis companies. Select a company with which you are happy and use it whenever possible.

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05

stoRAGe

When heavy uel oil is bunkered it is stored in the ship’s bunker tanks. These tanks are o varying shapes, sizes and capacities depending on the ship size, construction and trade. The illustration below shows a basic illing, transer, storage and uel oil puriication system or a heavy uel oil propulsion plant. The coniguration represents the typical low path or heavy uel oil rom storage to consumption. Fuel oil is transerred rom storage tanks to settling tanks via a uel oil transer pump and its associated suction strainer. From the settling tanks it is transerred to service ser vice tanks by way o the puriication system. Two Two uel oil centriugal separators are installed with appropriate supply pumps, heaters and controls. The system and equipment is conigured to permit operation o the separators in parallel or in series, either in a puriier/puriier, puriier/puriier, clariier/clariier or puriier/clariier sequence. Centriuge heater crossover capability is also illustrated. Fuel oil is discharged rom the centriugal separators to the service tanks either directly, directly, or via an additional duplex ilter i it is suspected that the separators have not removed all contaminants. The uel oil is retained in the service tanks until it is drawn to the main engine via the uel oil service system. Trace heating o the uel oil piping, i itted, should be activated during these transer operations.

^ Typical Heavy Fuel Oil fill, transfer, storage, and purification system

Heating All uel uel oil bunker bunker tanks tanks and waste waste oil tanks tanks must must have have some orm o tank heating. heating. Normally Normally the heating is by way o steam produced by an oil-ired boiler and passed through coils inside the oil tank. Other ways to heat the uel tanks are by using thermal oil. This also utilises an oil ired boiler that heats the thermal oil which is then circulated through coils inside the tank by a pump. Temperature regulation and monitoring can be automatic and sel-adjusting sel-adjusting but is commonly eected by checking the tank temperature and manually adjusting the heating accordingly. accordingly. Heating coil integrity in the case o using steam as the heating should be monitored by checking the steam condensate returns in the engine room observation tank. I oil is observed, the source must be traced. An increase in steam consumption should be checked out as this may indicate a steam coil ailure. In the case o thermal oil heating, oil analysis should be regularly taken and results checked or any HFO contamination. Monitoring Monitoring o the thermal oil header tank level should also be strictly monitored. Onboard viscosity checks may be useul in determining any thermal oil viscosity change caused by HFO contamination. 42 STANDARD CLUB


Bunker capacity The bunkering capacity o ships varies rom ship to ship. In act not even sister ships may have the same bunker tank capacity as a result o small design changes and tank abrication discrepancies during building. The maximum allowable illing capacity o a bunker tank varies rom one company to another and should be documented in the company’s saety management system. Normally, the maximum is in the range o 85 to 90% although this may vary rom ship to ship. Remember that allowance or uel expansion rom bunker tank heating should always be actored into the initial illing level. The 90% capacity igure should include an allowance or heat expansion. Overlooking this has in many instances led to heavy uel oil tank overlows.

Settling tanks Settling tanks have several important unctions in the proper treatment o heavy uel oil. They provide a settling unction or suspended water and solids, a heating unction, a de-aeration unction, and a thermal stabilising unction. Ships’ settling tanks are designed to accept uel oils with a 60°C minimum lash-point. The ‘two settling tank’ concept is the most common arrangement itted to new ships. One settling tank may contain low sulphur uel oil and the other the high sulphur uel or use u se outside sulphur emission-controlled areas. A three-way change over valve may be itted to ensure that the uel change-over is made as trouble ree as possible. Engineers should always ollow the company’s uel change-over procedures. Please reer to the ‘Fuel changeover procedure basic guidelines’ section below. As soon soon as as a settling settling tank is illed illed,, it is normal normally ly heated heated to approxima approximately tely 72°C, 72°C, or 6°C 6°C belo below w the lash-point, whichever is lower. From a saety standpoint, uel oils must never be heated in ships’ bunker tanks at or above the uel’s lash-point. lash-point. The tanks should be insulated where possible to reduce heat loss. It is important to shut o the settling tank heat source once its contents are up to temperature, because continuous heating will produce thermal currents within the tank which interere with the settling process. Ships have high tank temperature alarms and may also have automatic regulators. Because o constant heat loss rom a settling tank, it may be necessary to reactivate the tank heating system periodically to maintain its contents at 60°C or better. better. Settling tanks should have bottom drains or water and sludge stripping. Water and sludge should be removed on a regular basis by means o these drains as part par t o a normal watchkeeping routine. During periods o heavy weather it is necessary to drain uel storage tanks more regularly than usual. Ships’ engines have stopped when this has not been carried out in rough weather, and this can be one o the worst situations or an engine ailure.

Saety Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) may be present when heating uel oils. It is a highly toxic gas and exposure to high vapour concentrations is extremely hazardous, and in some cases can be atal. At very low concentrations, the gas has the characteristic smell o rotten eggs. At higher higher concentrat concentrations, ions, it causes causes a loss loss o o smell, smell, headaches headaches and dizzi dizziness ness and at at very very high concentrations is immediately atal. H2S can be ormed during the reining process and can evolve rom the uels in storage tanks, in product barges and bunker tanks. H2S can be present in both liquid and vapour phase and the degree and speed o par titioning between the liquid and vapour phase depend on several actors, or example the uel chemistry, temperature, viscosity, viscosity, level o agitation, storage time, heating applied, ambient conditions, tank shape, ullage and venting.

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Contact with H2S vapours can occur when personnel are exposed to uel vapours, such as when they are dipping tanks, opening tank hatch covers, entering empty tanks, rom vent pipes when tanks are being illed and/or heated, in puriier rooms, breaking into uel lines and during ilter changing operations. The risks are highlighted in Material Saety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and the dangers presented to health and exposure guidelines are well documented. For urther inormation, inormation, guidance 10 is provided in Section 2.3.6 o ISGOTT . The liquid-phase limit stated in the ISO 8217:2010 is designed to provide an improved margin o saety over that indicated in the previous edition. This T his limit alone does not constitute a sae level or eliminate the risk o very high levels o H2S vapour developing in enclosed spaces.

Service tanks Service tanks, or day tanks, have a very important unction in the overall treatment o heavy uel oil or diesel engines. They provide a inal settling unction or water and solids, a heating unction and a thermal stabilising unction. The settling unction is primarily a backup in the event o a ailure o the separators and/or during a by-pass o the iltration system, should this emergency be necessary. necessar y. It should be noted that damage to engine uel injection equipment and the engine may occur i this is carried out. On some ships, one HFO service tank is itted. This obviously makes the changeover to low sulphur uel oil a much more time consuming procedure, as the service tank high sulphur uel has to be consumed beore low sulphur uel is introduced. On most modern ships, however, however, two service tanks are provided. This ollows SOLAS requirements or redundancy o uel oil ser vice tanks, which apply to ships built on or ater 1 July 1998. (See SOLAS 2009, Part C, Regulation 26.11). One service tank contains the higher sulphur uel oil and the other may contain low sulphur uel to ensure MARPOL Annex VI emission regulations are met. This will involve a uel changeover sometime during the ship’s operation or engines and/or boilers. Fuel changeover procedures are discussed below. The service tanks normally have high and low suction lines with downturned suction diuser elbows. The cleanest uel oil is available rom the upper (high) suction. Thereore it should be used whenever possible. The service tanks should have bottom drain connections or water and sludge stripping. The water and sludge rom this bottom drain should be removed at regular intervals as part o the engine room watchkeeping procedures. A typical typical heavy heavy uel oil service tank system system is is shown shown below below..

^ Typical Heavy Fuel Oil service system

10 International Inte rnational Saety Guide per Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT), 5th Edition, ISBN 978-1-85609-291-3. 978-1-85609-291-3.

44 STANDARD CLUB


^ Fuel oil service tank manhole cover showing contamination of fuel

Guidance in preparation or uel changeover The issues related to uel switching are unique to each ship and its condition so there are no universal procedures that can be applied, but, there are certain general principles and procedures that apply to most ships. It is highly recommended that a well thought-out uel procedure or manual be developed by competent and experienced persons or any ship that will sail in waters that require the use o low sulphur uel so that the uel switching can be carried out saely with no risk to the crew, ship or environment. This is a requirement o the new MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 14 (6) or ships entering and leaving an Emissions Control Area. Operating crew should be well trained in how to use the procedure and be be aware o any saety issues that can arise and how to respond to these. Any new crew members joining joining a ship ship should should be be traine trained d beor beore e partici participat pating ing in the uel switch switching ing process. process. The proper proper implementation implementation o uel switching switching and reliable operation o the propulsion machinery throughout switching and while operating on the low sulphur uel is o great importance because the requirement to operate on low sulphur uels is generally applicable to por ts and coastal waters where there is the greatest risk to the ship and environment rom loss or reduction in a ship’s propulsion power. power. Where uel switching is required or operation in coastal waters, such as in the state o Caliornia, it is best to carry this out beore the ship enters crowded and restricted channels and port areas or wherever there is risk o grounding or collision. Where operation on low sulphur is only required ater ship docking in port, then uel switching can saely be carried out in port while alongside or in anchorage. Additiona Additionally lly,, the the time, time, ship’s ship’s positions positions at the the start start and completio completion n o changeov changeover er to to and rom compliant low sulphur uel oil must be recorded in a logbook (or example engine room log book), together with details o the tanks involved and uel used. The Marine Fuel Sulphur Record Book Masters are to record evidence o the changeover to low sulphur (1.0% or below sulphur content by mass) uel in order to demonstrate compliance on having entered a SOx Emission Control Area (ECA).

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At a minimum minimum the Marine Marine Fuel Fuel Sulph Sulphur ur Record Record Book Book (MFSRB) (MFSRB) should should contain contain:: name o vessel IMO number distinctive letters or numbers (i applicable) • • •

And on entry into into an ECA: ECA: name o ECA being entered date changeover o uel is completed time changeover o uel is completed position o the ship at which changeover o uel is completed volume o low sulphur uel oil in each tank • • • • •

Each completed page should be signed and dated by the master. An exampl example e record record book book page is given given below below or or reeren reerence. ce.

Da ad im  ry i secA

Da ad im hagvr mpld

DD/MM/ Y Y & HH:MM

DD/MM/ Y Y & HH:MM

secA Nor th Sea

Pii  hip a whih hagvr i mpld L at & Long

Vlum  lw ulphur ul rmaiig (pr ak) XX M³

Master’s Signature:

sigaur J.Doe

Date:

^ Typical Marine Sulphur Record Book

It should be noted that the United States Coastguard has recently issued policy letter ‘Guidelines or ensuring compliance with Annex VI o MARPOL 73/78’, 73/78’, as Annex VI became eective or the USA on 8 January 2009 or oreign lagged ships operating in its waters as well as American lag ships and has included uel tanks as an inspection item i separate uel tanks are used and where it should be veriied that ‘high’ and ‘low’ sulphur uels cannot be blended/mix blended /mixed. ed.

Fuel changeover procedure basic guidelines The ollowing are important steps and issues that should be considered in the preparation o a uel switching procedure. 1. carry out an assessment o the uel system on board the ship ship by competent persons and determine what needs to be done to operate saely and eectively on low sulphur uel 2. consider the uel storage, storage, settling and and service tank arrangement. arrangement. This will will determine determine i uel switching can be done by segregating or by mixing uels. Segregating uels is the preerred method as it allows much quicker switching and there is less potential p otential or compatibility issues. Segregation can be carried out on ships that have separate uel storage, settling and service tanks. Most ships built ater a ter 1 July 1998, because o new International Convention or the Saety o Lie at Sea (SOLAS) requirements, have double service tanks and more than two storage tanks, so the possibility or segregation exists. In many cases the second service tank is a diesel uel tank and not a heavy uel tank. This works well when the low sulphur uel is MDO or MGO, but not when the low sulphur uel is low sulphur heavy uel oil (LSHFO). However, as allowable sulphur limits are progressively decreasing it is becoming more likely that the low sulphur uel will be MGO, so the act that the second service ser vice tank is or diesel oil is an advantage. It is beneicial to have separate settling tanks to maintain uel segregation at all times i LSHFO is used. Having separate, segregated uel systems greatly simpliies the switching

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process and reduces the risks and crew eort as the switching is done by changing over the valve or valves that supply uel to the uel supply pumps or the engine or boiler. The switching veriicat veriication ion process is much simpler with a segregated system, as the time or the valve changeover can be easily recorded and the time to lush the uel system with the new uel requires a ew hours at most 3. a ship which does not have have a tank arrangement that permits segregation segregation o uel beyond the storage tanks will have to develop procedures or uel mixing. One way to do this is to reduce the level in the settling tank to about 20% o capacity beore illing with the alternate uel. With this arrangement, up to several days beore entering an ECA may be needed to reduce the sulphur level in the mixed uel to the required level. This can lead to high consumption o expensive low sulphur uel, so consideration should be made to installing a segregated uel system on any ship that regularly trades in areas where low sulphur uel is required 4. beore uel switching, it is generally recommended to reduce ship power to the level indicated in the uel switching procedure. Typically this is a power level o 30% to 70% Maximum Continuous Rating (MCR), depending on the speciics o the propulsion plant 5. avoiding thermal shock to to the uel system system is one one o the critical elements in a uel switching procedure. Engine manuacturers manuacturers normally oer guidance on the maximum allowed rate o temperature change in uel systems, such as the commonly used r ate o 2°C/minute. As an example o how to determine the time or uel switching, i a ship is using HFO heated to about 150°C prior to the uel injection pumps and switching to MGO at 40°C, the temperature dierence is about 110°C. Under these conditions and considering a 2°C/minute permitted rate o change, the uel switching process should take a minimum o 55 minutes to complete saely. saely. Consider using longer than minimum time to prevent short-term rapid temperature changes during the process, which may not consist o a smooth, even temperature change. There are several diiculties that can occur in controlling the rate o temperature change: i. many ships ships carry out out uel switching by manually manually changing changing over a single single three-way three-way valve. This immediatel immediatelyy changes the uel source and i the uel switching is done at high power levels the uel change is carried out in a relatively short period per iod as the uel circulates at a high rate through the mixing tank. Rapid change rom HFO to MGO can lead to overheating the MGO, causing a rapid loss o viscosity and possible ‘gassing’ in the uel system. Too rapid change rom unheated MGO to HFO can lead to excessive cooling o the HFO and excessive viscosity at the uel injectors, again causing loss o power and possible shutdown. I a single changeover valve is provided, it is recommended to carry carr y out uel switching with the engine at low power levels so the uel change will occur gradually enough to remain within the temperature rate o change limits. I uel switching is sought at higher power levels, the uel switching system may have to be modiied, including the possible installation o an automated uel changeover system system that changes the uel in a timed and regulated manner. Such automated systems are now being oered by some engine makers and by uel system equipment suppliers ii. uel heaters and pipe heat tracing should should be turned o or on on in a controlled manner manner during the uel switching process. Most ships have a viscosity control system that controls the heat supply to the uel preheaters located in the uel supply system. This system will adjust the heat supply to the preheaters as the uel viscosity changes during the uel switch. However, However, when the change to low viscosity diesel oil is completed the heat supply needs to be turned o and any heat tracing should also be turned o when changing to low viscosity uel iii. when switching rom heated HFO to MGO, MGO, engine components and uel in the mixing tank will retain heat and as the still hot uel mix becomes more pure MGO, there is real danger o ‘gassing’ occurring at the booster pumps, causing the engine to stop. Fuel temperature should be closely monitored during this process and components given suicient time to cool beore running on pure MGO. This is where uel coolers can be o value

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6. Compatibility o o the mixed mixed uels is an issue, issue, as discussed earlier. earlier. During the uel uel switching process, uel ilters, strainers and mixing tank should be careully checked or evidence o clogging and excessive excessive sludge orming. This is one reason that uel switching is best done ahead o time in open waters clear o hazards. 7. I a uel cooler is installed, turn it on and open the valves to the cooler careully while closely monitoring the temperature o the uel to prevent an excessive rate o cooling. When changing rom cooled MGO to heated HFO, the cooler can usually be bypassed and shut o at the start o the process. 8. Puriiers should be adj adjusted usted to suit suit the new uel. Make Make sure the suction suction and return pipes go to the correct tanks. I operating on MGO, a separate puriier may be in operation. 9. I there is uel valve injector cooling cooling on the engine, engine, this may may need to be turned o or on during uel switching. Ater switching to MGO, uel valve cooling may not be needed and i this is the case it should be turned o to prevent over-cooling o the uel i the engine is to be operated or extended periods o time on MGO. I cooling was turned o, it should be turned on again when switching to heated HFO uel. Consult with the engine manuacturer over this. 10. Monitor temperatures temperatur es o the engine and its components to check that they are maintained at normal service temperatures. Adjust or re-set engine control equipment such as control valves, temperature sensors, viscosity controller etc, as needed, to account or the new uel type, where this is not done automatically. As experience is gained with uel switching there will be better understanding o what needs to be adjusted and monitored during the switching process and during sustained operation with MGO. During initial uel switches, added vigilance is needed to spot potential problems beore they become serious. Fuel switching procedures should be adjusted to account or identiied problems. 11. Once the propulsion and generating genera ting plant are stabilised on the new uel and all components are at normal service ser vice temperatures, it should be possible to bring back propulsion plant to normal power, power, and the vessel can proceed into restricted and port areas. 12. I sustained operation ope ration (more than ive to seven days) on a uel with a large dierence diere nce in sulphur content is planned, engine manuacturers typically recommend that the cylinder oil type used in slow speed diesels be changed to the appropriate one or the sulphur content o the uel being used.

Sludge and uel oil leakage tanks How sludge and uel oil leakage occurs Sludge deposits in uel tanks are caused by the presence o wax, sand, s and, scale, asphaltenes, tars and water in the bunkered uel. All uel oil has sludge content but its release can be caused by mixing incompatible uels, heating and puriication. The sludge created during the uel processing by the puriiers is a perectly normal phenomenon. Ater all, you do not want this to get into the service tanks. The sludge builds up in the puriier bowl and is normally automatically discharged ater a ter a set time (approximately two to our hours depending on uel quality) to the sludge tank. There is usually a greater proportion o water discharged with the sludge but this also depends on the quality o the uel oil being processed. Fuel oil leakage occurs past engine uel pumps, uel injectors, uel system booster pumps, ilter drains, mixing units, heaters etc. When HFO has been transerred to the settling tank, the drain rom this tank normally enters the uel oil leakage tank. Storage Both sludge and uel oil leakage are stored in dedicated heated tanks with pumping acilities either to the deck discharge connection or i itted, to the incinerator. incinerator.

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Disposal o sludge and waste uel oil Sludge is disposed o ashore by using the ship’s ship’s dedicated sludge pump to pump rom the sludge tank to a shore reception acility or barge via the sludge connection on deck. Incineration is possible on some ships but is not recommended because the sludge is abrasive and not very combustible. It is ater all a waste product rom the uel oil ater puriication. Some ships are itted with a sludge de-watering unit whereby the sludge is processed and the water is removed and sent to the ship’s bilge water holding tank ready or disposal through the oily water separator. This type o system obviously keeps the need or pumping out the sludge tank ashore to a minimum as it is only the sludge that will be accumulated. Fuel oil leakage is usually disposed o in the same way as sludge. Some companies preer incineration as it is normally a mixture o diesel oil and heavy uel oil leakages so may be o a reduced viscosity compared to the HFO onboard. Whenever any uel oil or sludge is disposed o, documented evidence must be kept in the oil record book. Reer above to the Documentation section: Oil Record Book. Use o the oily water separator A properly properly unctionin unctioning g oily oily water water separator separator (OWS) (OWS) is is needed needed to to ensure ensure compl compliance iance with MARPOL. The OWS controls operational discharges overboard o waste water that accumulates in machinery spaces. An understanding o both the oil-water separating equipment and shipboard wastes that enter the bilge is necessary necess ary to manage properly onboard bilge water and oily waste. In a typical ship, the main sources o contamination in bilge water and bilge holding tanks include but are not limited to the ollowing: 1. diesel engine engine intercooler intercooler condensation condensation drains drains (clean (clean water) water) 2. sludge rom decanting/bottom draining draining storage and sludge tanks due to lube oil and uel oil puriication (oily water) 3. uel oil oil storage storage and settling tanks (oily water) 4. lube oil and uel oil iltration iltratio n (oil) 5. machinery leakages leakages (uel, oil and water) 6. condensate rom air compressors compressors and compressed air systems systems 7. diesel engine piston stuing box leakages leakages and piston piston underside blow-down blow-down (slow-speed (slow-speed diesels only) 8. boiler water/ water/condensate condensate drains (dierent rom piston piston cooling water because these include other types o chemicals such as solvents, causing dierent concerns) 9. equipment and engine-room washing 10. economiser eco nomiser water washing 11. seawater and reshwater cooling (a potential source o biological contaminants) conta minants) 12. ire-ighting oam 13. water treatment chemicals 14. engine coolant 15. grey g rey water drains 16. sanitary system leaks and overlows overlows 17. 17. air conditioning and rerigeration rerige ration condensate 18. engine room cleaning cleaning

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The master, chie engineer and senior oicers in the engine department should: instruct users o OWS equipment and veriy the standard achieved veriy that maintenance schedules are being ollowed ensure that audits include operational tests and a reconciliation o records ensure that scheduled tank sounding logs are maintained and signed or keep records o veriication o correct operation through testing at sea ensure that onboard spares are adequate to meet demand create a culture where complacency in operation and maintenance standards is unacceptable

• • • • • • •

The master, chie engineer and senior oicers in the engine department should: ensure that all entries in the tank sounding log, ORB and incinerator logs are completed promptly by the crew member who perormed per ormed the task ensure that each completed page o the ORB is examined and signed by the chie engineer and/or the master require signatures rom those conducting overboard discharges and operational tests ensure that ship amiliarisation procedures veriy that company environmental policy and operability o equipment are understood and ollowed require the status o pollution prevention equipment to be recorded in the handover notes o the responsible engineer and the chie engineer record the independent veriication o the correct operation o the oil discharge monitoring equipment raise awareness o the need or an open chain o command and accurate record keeping that can be substantiated with Port State Control

•

•

• •

•

•

•

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06

PRocessInG

The shipowner’s irst point o active uel control and handling begins at the ship’s bunkering connection. The movement, storage, storage, inventory and inal processing o the uel is the responsibility o the ship’s operating personnel. Pre-planned and careul execution o uel oil management within the ship’s transer and processing systems will minimise the potential or creating uel compatibility and combustion problems.

Fuel transer Fuel oil is transerred rom storage tanks to settling tanks via a uel oil transer pump and its associated suction strainer. strainer. A transe transerr pump pump normall normallyy is installed installed to move move uel uel oil oil rom rom stora storage ge tanks tanks to settling settling tanks. tanks. One positive displacement transer pump, protected by suction strainers and a pressure relie valve, valve, and a pump bypass line, is normally itted. The transer pump low rate depends on engine uel consumption rate and service ser vice and settling tank size. Proper arrangement o system valves adds distribution lexibility to the transer system. These valves normally permit uel oil rom any storage tank to be pumped to either settling tank, to either service tank, to the remainder o the uel oil storage tanks or, in some systems, overboard to a barge or other storage acility via the bunkering maniold. Internal uel oil transers must always be recorded in the ORB. The internal transer o uel oil onboard ship must be treated with the same precautions as during bunkering. A number number o o signii signiicant cant pollutio pollution n claims claims have have arisen arisen rom rom poor uel transer transer procedures. procedures.

Settling tanks to service tanks The transer o uel oil rom the settling set tling tank to the service tank is normally carried out by using the onboard HFO puriiers. Some ships have the acility to use oil in the engines and boilers directly rom the settling tank, thus by-passing the uel oil puriiers. This by-pass system is or emergency use only and should be strictly avoided, where practicable, at all other times. Serious engine damage may occur i this by-pass system is used or any length o time.

Centriugal separation (puriiers) All ships ships designed designed to to operat operate e on heavy uel oils will have have centriu centriugal gal separators separators (puriiers) (puriiers) as part o the engine room equipment. It should always be remembered that puriiers have their limitations and we cannot expect a ship’s uel oil treatment processing plant to render every uel oil it or use. However However eective design and maintenance will almost certainly provide adequate protection against the potentially harmul eects o the vast majority o uel oils delivered. Water Water and sediment levels in the uel can be eectively controlled in well maintained and correctly operated puriiers. On the lip side, poorly maintained and operated puriiers will ail to improve uel oils to an acceptable quality and result in undue wear or damage to the engine.

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The centriugal separator is the oundation o the total shipboard uel treatment system.

^ Centrifugal separator (purifier)

Its operation must be thoroughly understood by the shipboard engineers so that they can immediately troubleshoot heavy uel oil problems as they occur. A treatment problem cannot wait until the next port. Major main engine damage can rapidly result rom lack o eective uel oil puriication. Puriier particle removal is important or the removal o catalytic ines rom HFO. Puriier manuacturers have perormed various tests on particle par ticle size and puriier throughput to determine the eects this has on particle removal. Below is a table showing some interesting results. siz rag  paril (mir) Paril i d il  purifr

5–6

6–8

8 – 10

1,600

13,600

6,400

100% hrughpu

1,600

1,100

440


910

760

400


150

90

60

Particles after purification

This table illustrates that the best particle par ticle removal is when the puriier is operating at 25% 25% throughput. This o course assumes that the correct gravity disc has been itted. It should be noted that most modern puriiers operate without a gravity disc and are known as high density puriiers. These machines operate as a clariier but also use water monitoring and control devices to ensure that no water passes through. Studies have ound that the best method o puriying uel oil is by using the puriier/clariier puriier/clariier in series method when the machines use the gravity disc method. The puriier removes water water and some par ticles and the clariier removes even more particles, par ticles, thereore lowering the uel oil’s particle count. With modern systems only one machine is required.

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Some basic situations which can cause separators to operate below b elow maximum eiciency, eiciency, or not work at all, are: a. incorrect uel handling beore the centriuge b. unstable low c. incorrect incorr ect low, usually too high a low d. unstable temperature e. incorrect temperature . incorrect incorr ect positioning o the water/oil interace, inter ace, inhibiting inhibitin g the correct correc t low o oil through all discs, usually caused by incorrect gravity data and/or choice o an incorrect gravity disc g. overilling o sludge space caused by by extended intervals between de-sludging, or incompatible heavy uel oils with higher than normal sludge deposits Reerring to the diagram below, the ollowing observations show ineicient or incorrect separator operation which may be caused by changes in the uel oil characteristics. •

•

•

a separator which breaks the water seal ater experiencing balanced operation may be the result o increased uel density, increased viscosity, increased low rate, or a decrease in temperature i the oil/water interace moves towards the axis o the bowl to give poor uel separation or water carry over into the oil phase, the potential causes may be decreased low rate, or increased uel temperature i the separator ailure occurs because o an uncontrollable uel oil characteristic, such as increased density or viscosity, viscosity, the gravity disc should be changed to achieve eicient operation. It also may be necessary to decrease throughput to puriy higher density uels eectively Sealing water inlet Feed liquid (dirty oil) inlet Light liquid (puriied oil) outlet Heavy liquid (water) outlet Heavy liquid chamber Gravity disc

Distributor

Light liquid chamber Disc Top disc

Interace

Discharge hole

^ Cross section through HFO purifier

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53

PRocessInG

Filtration A iltrat iltration ion system system is is alway alwayss used used in shipboard shipboard uel treating treating and condit conditioni ioning ng syste systems. ms. The higher ash, solids, and catalyst particle content ound more requently in heavy uels make such an installation a necessity. A properly designed iltration system will eectively control solids that can damage high pressure pumps, injection systems, and the cylinder bores o diesel engines. Under normal operating conditions, properly designed and operated iltration syst systems ems can provide eective protection protection with 2,000 – 3,000 hour intervals between ilter element replacements. The chie engineer should reer to the engine manuacturer’s recommendations. As hea heavy vy uel uel oils oils may may contai contain n sedi sedimen ment, t, dirt, dirt, ash ash and cataly catalyst st particle particles, s, the separat separator or sys system tem,, preerably operating in series, can provide a sizeable initial reduction in these solids, but not always enough to prevent an increase in engine wear rates. The remainder o the small solids, as well as a small percentage pe rcentage o large particles, can be eectively stopped by a ine mesh, replaceable element, depth type, iltration system. The ilter housing should be equipped with a bottom water drain and an air vent and a dierential pressure gauge to indicate the pressure drop across the ilter so that an accurate determination o ilter element replacement requirements can be made. These ilters are normally sel-cleaning by using a back lushing principle, see the picture o uel oil ilters below. In addition to solids, trace quantities o ree water carried over rom the separators are removed by these ilters. Whereas removing trace water may seem unimportant, shipboard experience has shown that its elimination can increase injection pump lie by as much as 100%. The ilter water sumps should be drained daily to prevent water rom rising above the sump level and ‘wetting’ the ilter elements. Service pump suction strainers Duplex suction strainers provide protection to the uel oil service pumps rom any solid debris rom the uel oil service ser vice tanks. A 20 to 140 mesh reinorced, corrosion resistant basket strainer should be used, together with magnetic elements to remove remove all coarse metallic and magnetic particles rom the heavy uel oil stream.

^ Fuel oil filters

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Final ilter (hot ilter) A duplex duplex,, inal inal prot protectio ection, n, 10 10 micron micron ilter ilter usually usually is instal installed led immedi immediatel atelyy beore beore the inlet o the uel injection pumps to protect pump plungers and barrels rom any untreated contamination or random debris remaining in the uel. While it may appear that this inal ilter is unnecessary due to the cleaning and treatment equipment upstream, high pressure diesel injection pumps are very sensitive to minute particles o debris. This material can cause micro-seizures and inally total ailure o the pump plunger and barrel.

Viscosi Visc osity ty contro controll The viscometer is a critical component which ensures uniorm and accurate viscosity control. The viscometer constantly samples the heavy uel oil and produces a signal which is proportional to viscosity. viscosity. Typical sensors employ calibrated capillary tubes, alling pistons, or vibrating rods. Irrespective o the method o determining viscosity, viscosity, the viscometer output signal modulates an automatic steam control valve on the uel oil service heaters. Since S ince the viscometer is constantly sampling and adjusting the uel oil heater outlet temperature to maintain a constant pre-set viscosity, the accuracy o this unit must be checked and calibrated periodically. Experience suggests that service once every six months by disassembly and recalibration is recommended. The unit should be careully installed according to the manuacturer’s manuacturer’s recommendations. By-pass valves and isolation valves should be provided to allow or service without plant shutdown. Typical modern viscometer equipment is shown below.

^ Modern viscometer components

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07

MAcHIneRY UsInG FUeL oIL

Main engines and boilers Fuel oil that is used in engines or boilers must be heated in order to ensure correct atomisation upon injection. The necessary preheating temperature depends on the speciic viscosity o the oil in question. Inadequate preheating (that is, too high viscosity): aects combustion may cause increased cylinder wear o liners and rings may be detrimental to exhaust valve seats may result in too high uel injection pressures, leading to excessive excessive mechanical stresses in the uel oil system pumps and piping

• • • •

In most installations, heating is carried out by means o steam coils, and the resulting viscosity is measured by a viscosity regulator (viscometer), (viscometer), which also controls the steam supply. Depending on the viscosity/temperature relationship and the viscosity o the uel oil, an outlet temperature o up to 150°C may be necessary. (Reer to the above section on viscosity control.) However, in order to avoid too rapid ouling o the heater, a temperature o 150°C should not be exceeded. Recommended viscosity meter setting is 10 –15 cSt. However the engine manuacturer’s manuacturer’s recommended setting or the uel being used should always be ollowed. ollowed. Fuel oil injection temperature is determined by the uel oil’s viscosity and is normally in the range o 105 105 –150°C. Boilers tend to be much more tolerant when it comes to burning heavy uel oil. The uel oil does not have to pass though high pressure uel oil pumps with very small clearances and small pin holes in uel injector nozzles. The boiler’s uel oil injection system is normally at a much lower pressure than a diesel diesel engine: typically 250 250 – 300 bar or a diesel engine and 1.5– 1.5 – 3.5 bar or a boiler burner. Also the boiler is more tolerant with uel oil temperature temperature and normally does not require a viscometer beore being ired in to the urnace and burnt. bur nt. Technical issues o operating on low sulphur diesel di esel uel oil when ollowing the t he EU Sulphur Directive 2005/33/EC. All owners owners are amiliar amiliar with the current current MARPOL MARPOL Annex VI regul regulatio ations ns with with respect respect to SOx emission controlled areas (ECAs). (ECAs). Owners may already have low sulphur uel or the use in main and auxiliary engines, but the continuous use o gas oil in diesel generators, boilers and incinerators designed or running on HFO, may pose some operational problems. There are a number o technical issues o which owners should be aware with respect to the use o low sulphur uel: neces sary to determine what the viscosity limitations are or the Low viscosity : It is necessary machinery in which the uel is to be used. I a machine is designed to run r un on HFO, then the uel system components will have been designed to run at HFO temperatures (approximately 110 110 –120°C). Depending on the uel system coniguration conigur ation it may be necessary to it some or all o the ollowing: a. new uel pumps b. uel injector nozzles c. uel line coolers coolers to control the temperature o the gas gas oil in the uel supply system system to ensure correct atomisation. atomisation. d. new return lines may have to be installed i contamination by HFO is to be avoided. e. the replacement or the addition o o gear type supply pumps may may also have to be considered. The above list is not complete and may be expanded. •

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•

•

Low temperature perormance: perormance: As low sulphur uels may have a substantial wax content, due attention must be given to the temperature o these uels at any point in the system. Engineers should ensure that the uel temperature is not so reduced that solidiication or wax deposit problems occur. This can lead to ilter blockages and uel star vation o the machine. Identiying the cloud point rom the bunker delivery receipt or the uel may be a good indication as to when this waxing may star t. Lubricity and lubrication: lubrication: Lubricity as a characteristic relates to boundary lubrication perormance which aects the ability to generate a hydrodynamic lubrication ilm (oil (oil wedge). wedge). The engine manuacturer’s manuacturer’s recommendations should be sought to ensure that the continuous use o gas oil is not detrimental to the lubrication o the uel system components in the machine.

Where a low sulphur uel is being used in two stroke or our stroke diesel engines, the engine builder’s builder’s recommendations should be strictly ollowed with respect to cylinder lubrication total base number (TBN). The running o an engine with incorrect cylinder oil lubrication or the uel being used can rapidly cause severe liner wear, piston ring wear, exhaust valve wear and turbocharger problems, to name but a ew. Ultimately Ultimately it may cause engine ailure. It may be prudent or the ship’s ship’s medium speed engines to have an engine or engines permanently set up or running on gas oil only. These engines can be used when the ship is berthed and would avoid the need to change the engine crankcase oil to a lower TBN when using low sulphur gas oil rather than HFO. In all cases, the owner is recommended to contact the engine manuacturer or technical advice and recommendations.

^ Fuel pump plunger scoring

•

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Density : Due to the density o gas oil, the actual quantity o uel, in terms o tonnes, contained within a tank will be reduced as compared to residual uels (HFO). This would be relected in the amount o uel injected per uel pump stroke resulting in a higher uel rack setting or a given load irrespective o the higher caloriic value o the gas oil.


57


•

•

•

•

Power shortall: shortall: Problems with power shortall may occur on engines that have higher running hours on the uel injection equipment and hence have been subjected to wear. wear. Fuel injection may not be aected when running on HFO at high uel temperatures, but when subjected to the colder temperatures o running with gas oil, problems with low uel injection pressures may arise. The uel pump’s pump’s ability to generate the desired injection pressure may be dramatically reduced and in extreme cases the pumps may not be able to produce the desired pressure or eective injection. This may be caused by the pump clearances at the low temperature being too large to pump the gas oil eectively. eectively. The engine thus may not be able to achieve ull power or even start. Pre-heating: Pre-heating: Since the heating o gas oil is not required, the systems in place or the HFO uel operation must be switched o. Trace heating o lines must be shut down during the use o gas oil and reinstated when using HFO. Solvent characteristics: characteristics: Gas oil will have a cleaning eect on systems normally run on HFO. This may clear accumulated sludge materials within the system, with the possibility o uel ilter ouling or uel injection equipment aults. Additionally seals and joints may leak because o the searching nature o gas oil. This is compounded by the reduced temperature o operation. There may also be an increased tendency or uel dribble rom injection nozzles causing combustion chamber aults such as diesel knock, piston crown burning or boiler burner iring problems. Main, auxiliary boilers, incinerators and inert gas generators: generators: The manuacturer o the boiler or burner control system has to ensure that the system is suitable or continuous operation on gas oil as well as HFO. Owners may have been required to change the uel nozzles and/or control system to adapt to the long-term use o gas oil. The urnace purging process must be unctioning correctly and all combustion saety devices operating eectively. Flame monitoring sensors may not be suitable or gas oil use because o the diering spectral emission ranges and this may result in alse alarms, boiler shutdowns and in the worst case undetected lame ailures. Combustion air settings may need to have been adjusted or the use o gas oil. Owners should ensure that boiler/burner manuacturer’s advice is strictly ollowed at all times. In the case o incinerators, the owner may ind it an easier option simply to not run the incinerator while berthed.

^ Always follow manufacturer’s advice with boiler burners

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•

•

Approval Approval o modiicati modiications ons:: All the proposed modiications to combustion equipment should have been assessed by a hazardous operations (HAZOP) workshop or other suitable risk assessment. Where any modiications have been made, these must have been approved by the ship’s classiication society. Changeover procedures: procedures: As previously discussed in chapter 5.

Use o the incinerator Most shipboard incinerators use diesel oil as their primary uel and have the capability to burn ship’s waste oil using a separate burner. Shipboard incineration is allowed only in purpose-built approved marine incinerators, but incineration o sewage sludge and sludge oil generated during the normal operation o a ship may also take place in the main or auxiliary power plant or boilers, but in those cases, shall not take place inside ports, harbours and estuaries. Check that or incinerators up to 1500 kW installed on or ater 1 January 2000, a type approval certiicate, according to MEPC76(40) or MED certiication, is available. For incinerators installed on or ater 1 January 2000 but beore 19 May May 2005, not type approved according to Resolution MEPC.76(40), exemption may be requested rom the relevant maritime administration, administration, i the ship trades only in national waters. Shipboard incineration o the ollowing substances is prohibited: a. residues o cargo subject to Annex Annex I, II and III o the Convention Convention and related related contaminated packing materials b. polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) c. garbage, as deined in Annex V o the Convention, Convention, containing more than traces o heavy metals d. reined petroleum products containing halogen compounds e. polyvinyl poly vinyl chlorides chlorid es (pvcs), except in incinerators inciner ators approved according accordin g to MEPC76(40) or MEPC59(33) Modiication Modiication o operational instructions must be made to comply with the above. Check that complete instructions and incinerator maintenance manuals are available onboard and give instructions concerning operation o the incinerator to achieve the limits speciied in MEPC 76(40). Check that a system or the continuous monitoring o the temperature o combustion gases is available. available. For the management o solid waste derived rom incineration, reerence is to be made to Annex V o MARPOL 73/78. Continuous eeding systems are to be arranged so that the supply o waste is stopped i the lue gas outlet temperature decreases below 850°C.

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59


Leakage protection Main and auxiliary engines’ high pressure uel injection systems must be itted with some orm o leakage detection device. It is important to check regularly that jacketed (or double walled) uel lines are inspected as par t o the planned maintenance regime. Care must be taken not to over-tighten over-tighten high pressure uel lines or the seating may crack and the pipe will leak. Always ollow the manuacturer’s tightening instructions. SOLAS Chapter Chapter II – 2 Regulation Regulation 4– 4 – 2.2.5.2 2.2.5.2 states: states: “External high-pressure fuel delivery lines between the high-pressure fuel pumps and fuel injectors injectors shall be protect protected ed with with a jacket jacketed ed piping piping system system capable of conta containin ining g fuel fuel from from a high pressure pressure line line failure. failure. A jacket jacketed ed pipe pipe incorpora incorporates tes an outer outer pipe into into which which the high pressure pressure fuel fuel pipe pipe is placed, placed, forming forming a permanen permanentt assembly assembly.. The The jacket jacketed ed piping piping system system shall include include a means for collection collection of leakages leakages and and arrangem arrangements ents shall be provided provided with an alarm in case case of of fuel fuel line line failur failure. e.” ” It is well documented that high pressure uel lines are usually not the primary cause o machinery space ires; it is the low pressure uel lines that are more likely to blame. Regular inspection and maintenance o these low pressure uel lines is highly important. Check or loose ixings on pipe clamps, signs o retting, small leaks in ittings and ensure that hot surace protection o these uel lines by exhaust maniold lagging and heat shields is eective. SOLAS Chapter II Regulation 4–2.2.6 4 –2.2.6 states: “1: Surfaces with temperatures above 220°C which may be impinged as a result of a fuel system system failure failure shall be properly properly insulated insulated.. 2: Precautio Precautions ns shall shall be taken taken to preve prevent nt any any oil that may escape under pressure pressure from from any any pump, pump, filter filter or or heater heater from from coming coming into into conta contact ct with with heated heated surfaces. surfaces.” ” Please reer to SOLAS Chapter II, Part Par t B, Prevention o ire and explosion.

Fireighting The vast majority o machinery space ires are avoidable. Paying strict attention to machinery maintenance and cleanliness, in most cases, will greatly reduce the risk o such a ire. Be that as it may, ire detection systems, ireighting systems and crew training should always be in top condition. There are various methods or detecting and ighting ires. The common methods are listed below: lame, heat and smoke detectors. Normally lame detectors are itted above engines portable extinguishers, oam, dry powder and water CO2 smothering using the ship’s ship’s ixed ireighting installation Halon using the ship’s ixed ireighting installation, (where approved by the maritime administration) administration) high pressure water mist using local area ire protection

• • • •

•

Whatever method used to detect and ight a ire, the crew must have good knowledge and training in the operation and release o the ireighting medium. The correct selection o portable extinguishers is important when dealing with an oil ire. Normally oam is used or oil ires. Remember that eective maintenance, good housekeeping, eective emergency procedures and training are key points in the prevention o a ire.

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08

ADDItIonAL ADDItIonAL PRecAUtIons PRecAUtIons

Cleanliness •

•

•

•

•

•

keep a clean engine room. This helps reduce waste oil/water oil/water and reduces need or disposal and use o the OWS always ensure that save-alls are drained o water beore bunkering, taking care to ensure any residual oil in the save-all is not allowed into the sea. Use a portable hand pump i required clean and maintain bunkering valves and in-line ilters i itted, by ollowing the ship’s planned maintenance schedules. Failure to maintain bunkering valves may allow them to leak always leave the bunkering area clean when bunkers have been completed. Accidental small spillages will present a slip hazard do not orget to it securely bunkering maniold blank langes, ensuring that the gasket is in a satisactory condition remember that oil is carcinogenic (cancer causing). Ensure suitable personal protective equipment is used at all times when handling uel oil. Reer to material saety data sheets or HFO or precautions and inormation

Management o change •

•

•

•

whenever taking over a ship rom previous ownership, check the uel waste oil systems particularly or ‘magic pipes’, the term or retro-itted pipes that circumvent the original piping system and could well lead to MARPOL inringements. The club recommends that the chie engineer and superintendent trace the waste oil and bilge lines when taking over a previously owned ship reer to the ship’s drawings and inspect any pump that can take suction rom the bilges directly and discharge overboard. Ensure that these pumps are well marked and that suitable pollution prevention procedures are ollowed ollowed carry out oily water separator (OWS) (OWS) training or ship sta who may not be amiliar with the operation o the OWS. Ensure that the training details are recorded always ensure that ship sta engaged in bunkering are ully amiliar with the procedures and are supervised by experienced personnel beore being let in charge o the system valve set-up

Familiarisation Familiarisation Familiarisation o ships systems and equipment is important beore they are used or operated. Many bunker spills occur as a result o the engineers in charge o the bunkering operation not being amiliar with: bunker piping arrangement and isolation valves tank capacities and sounding tables pumping anomalies overlow alarms reliability o tank gauges/soundings tank coniguration sae maximum illing limits emergency shutdowns • • • • • • • •

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61

ADDItIonAL PRecAUtIons

It is important that engineers should receive good handovers and handover inormation beore bunkering a ship or the irst time. Bunkering a ship or a tank or the irst time should be considered as a ‘high risk’ activity and additional precautions may need to be considered, such as: reduced pumping rates additional personnel involved involved experienced engineer overseeing operation • • •

Bunker uel tagging There are on the market various orms o bunker tags. These are unique organic molecular markers that have been developed speciically or ‘ingerprinting’ heavy uel oil. These molecular markers, also known as taggants, have been designed and engineered to be detected very accurately, at extremely low levels within residual uel oil. Molecular markers have virtually the same physical and chemical properties proper ties as heavy uel oil and thereore cannot be removed without destroying the oil itsel. Molecular markers are organic compounds that are highly secure and stable within heavy uel oil such that they resist removal by any chemical, thermal or physical treatment. Treatment by the markers works out to approximately hal a teaspoon to every 30 tonnes o bunkers (approximately (approximately 100 parts par ts per billion (ppb)). (ppb)). This small amount o tracer must be administered by dilution. Usually a 1 litre container is administered to the HFO during bunkering. Treatment Treatment gives a ratio o about 100–200 ppb. Detection in the uel has been quoted as low as in terms o parts per trillion (ppt). (ppt). The technology is part o anti-thet, bunkering control operations by crude oil producers and transportation companies, and by national governments trying to eliminate crude oil thet. It may also be used by companies in arbitration proceedings with respect to pollution incidents. Tagging products can be applied to all aspects o marine operations relating to potential pollution incidents: bunkers, cargo, bilges, and tank washings. The use o this technology can be used as proo o innocence as well as proo o guilt. The tagging product can be manuactured to allow shipping companies to have have a unique molecular marking product or every ship in their leet. Bottles can be supplied to the ship with a unique product name and a unique bar code or identiication. The costs involved have been quoted as around $2 to $4 per tonne o marked uel or the manuacture and supply o a ship speciic uel molecular marker. The cost will depend on the quantity ordered. The molecular marker or HFO is already used by some companies and has provided them with peace o mind over any allegations o uel oil pollution they might unjustly ace.

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09

ReGULAtIons AnD stAnDARDs

MARPOL MARPOL is the main international convention covering prevention prevention o pollution o the marine environment by ships rom operational or accidental causes. It is a combination o two treaties adopted in 1973 and 1978 1978 respectively and has been updated by amendments. The International Convention or the Prevention o Pollution rom Ships (MARPOL) was adopted on 2 November 1973 at IMO and covered pollution by oil, chemicals, harmul substances in packaged orm, sewage and garbage. The Protocol o 1978 relating to the 1973 International Convention or the Prevention o Pollution rom Ships (1978 MARPOL Protocol) was adopted at a conerence on Tanker Saety and Pollution Prevention in February 1978 in response to a spate o tanker accidents in 1976–1977. Measures relating to tanker design and operation were also incorporated into a Protocol o 1978 relating to the 1974 Convention on the Saety o Lie at Sea, 1974. As the the 197 1973 3 MARPO MARPOL L Conv Conventi ention on had not yet entered entered into into orce orce,, the the 197 1978 8 MARPOL MARPOL Protoc Protocol ol absorbed the parent Convention. The combined instrument is reerred to as the International Convention or the Prevention o Marine Pollution rom Ships, 1973, as modiied by the Protocol o 1978 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78), and it entered into orce on 2 October 1983 (Annexes I and II). The Convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimising pollution rom ships – both accidental pollution and that rom routine operations – and currently includes six technical Annexes: Annex I – Regulations Regulations or or the Prevention Prevention o Pollution Pollution by Oil Annex II – Regulations Regulations or or the Control Control o Pollution Pollution by by Noxious Noxious Liquid Substances Substances in Bulk Annex III – Prevention Prevention o Pollutio Pollution n by Harmul Substances Substances Carried Carried by Sea in Packaged Form Annex IV – Prevention Prevention o Pollution Pollution by by Sewage Sewage rom Ships Annex V – Prevention Prevention o Pollutio Pollution n by Garbage rom Ships Ships Annex VI – Prevention Prevention o Air Pollutio Pollution n rom rom Ships Ships (entered (entered into orce 19 May 2005) States Parties must accept Annexes I and II, but adoption o the other annexes is voluntary. The MARPOL 73/78 signatories are illustrated by the green areas on the map below. For a detailed up to date listing, owners are requested to contact IMO.

^ MARPOL 73/78 signatories

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Detentions requently occur on ships or MARPOL Annex VI deiciencies, and owners should ensure that their ships comply at all times. The ollowing is list o MARPOL Annex VI detainable deiciencies. It is by no means exhaustive, but it provides a good indication o the purposes o Annex VI: the absence o a valid International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) Certiicate, Engine International Air Pollution Prevention (EIAPP) certiicate, or Technical Files (ships built in 2000 and onward) a diesel engine or which an EIAPP Certiicate is required, which does not meet the NOx Technical Code the sulphur content o the onboard bunkers exceeds 4.5% non-compliance with SECA requirements in European/USA waters an incinerator or required emission scrubbers scrubber s not meeting approval requirements, or meeting such requirements, but not unctioning properly ozone-depleting substances are being emitted the ship has an incomplete ile o bunker delivery delivery receipts and associated uel samples master or crew unamiliar with operational procedures regarding air pollution prevention equipment

•

•

• • •

• • •

The current and uture regulations or MARPOL Annex VI The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) o the International Maritime Organization (IMO) unanimously adopted amendments to the MARPOL Annex A nnex VI regulations to reduce harmul emissions rom ships even urther, when it met or its 58th session at IMO’s London headquarters on 6–1 6 –10 0 October 2008. The main changes to MARPOL Annex A nnex VI will see a progressive reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions rom ships, with the global sulphur cap reduced initially to 3.5% 3.5% (rom the current 4.5%), rom 1 January 2012; then progressively to 0.5 %, rom 1 January 2020, subject to a easibility review to be completed no later than 2018. The limits applicable in SOx Emission Control Areas (ECAs) have been reduced to 1%, on 1 July 2010 (rom the previous 1.5 %); being urther reduced to 0.1 %, eective rom 1 January 2015. Progressive reductions in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions rom marine engines were also agreed, with the most stringent controls on so-called ‘Tier III’ engines, that is those installed on ships constructed on or ater 1 January 2016, 2016, operating in Emission Control Areas. The revised Annex VI will allow or an Emission Control Area to be designated or SOx, particulate matter, matter, or NOx, or all three types o emissions rom ships, subject to a proposal rom a party part y or parties par ties to the Annex, which would be considered or adoption by IMO, i supported by a demonstrated need to prevent, reduce and control one or more o those emissions rom ships. All ships ships constructe constructed d on or ater ater 1 January January 2000 must have have a Technical echnical File File which identiies identiies the engine’s engine’s components, settings or operating values which inluence exhaust emissions. The Technical File must be prepared by the engine manuacturer and a nd approved by the relevant certiying authority, and is required to accompany an engine throughout its lie on board the ship. It must be maintained in good order and not be subjected to any unauthorised alteration, amendments, omission or deletions. The engine to which the Technical File reers is to be installed in accordance with the rating (kW and speed) and duty cycle as approved together with any limitation imposed by the Technical File.

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The Technical File must, at a minimum, contain the ollowing inormation: 1. identiication o components, components, settings and operating values o the engine which inluence its NOx emissions 2. identiication identii cation o the ull range o allowable adjustments or alternatives alternati ves or the components o the engine 3. ull record o the engine’s engine’s perormance, including including its rated speed and rated power power 4. a system o onboard NOx veriication veriication procedures to veriy veriy compliance with with the NOx emission limits during onboard veriication surveys 5. a copy o the test report or an engine tested tested or pre-certiication or a test report or an engine installed onboard ship without pre-certiication pre- certiication 6. i applicable, applicable, the designation designation and restrictions or or an engine which is a member o an engine group or engine amily 7. speciications o o those spare parts and components components which, when used in the engine, engine, according to those speciications, will result in continued compliance o the engine with the NOx emission limits 8. the Engine Engine International International Air Pollution Pollution Prevention Prevention Certiicate (EIAPP), (EIAPP), as appropriate Current legislation Current IMO sulphur emission limits (MARPOL Annex VI regulation 14) 14) are: a global limit on sulphur emissions o 4.5% by mass when within a SOx Emission Control Area (ECA) a limit o 1% Caliornia’s limit on sulphur emission is or marine diesel oil (MDO) and imposes a limit o 0.5% • • •

New EU legislation came into eect on 1 January 2010 ollowing ollowing the EU Sulphur Directive 2005/33/EC. It deines limits on the sulphur content o marine uels. From 1 January 2010, 2010, under the Directive, the maximum allowable sulphur content o uel oil used by ships at berth in EU ports, other than those in the outermost regions, is 0.1%. This covers all grades o uel oil and all types o combustion machinery, including main and auxiliary engines, main and auxiliary boilers, inert gas generators and incinerators.

All

Ara All emission controlled controlled areas (ECAs)

Wh sulphur % implmd 1.0 01/07/2010 01/07/2010

All

All EU ports

0.10 0.10

01/01/2010 01/01/2010

1,2

Passenger ships

All EU

1.5

11/08/2006

2,3

Inland water way vessels

All EU inland waterways

0.10

01/01/2010

ship typ

n

^ ECA summary

1. Except or ships due to be at berth less than two hours. 2. Not applicable in the outermost outermost regions o the Community (French (French overseas departments, Azores, Madeira, Canary Canar y Islands). 3. Operators o cruise ships making regular cruises are advised advised to check with relevant authorities whether their operation is aected by the deinition in the Directive: ‘Passenger vessels on regular services to or rom any Community.’ Community.’ Alternativ Alternatively ely emission emission abate abatement ment technolog technologyy may may be approved approved.. Warship Warshipss are subject subject to a special clause.

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ship typ

Ara

sulphur %

Wh implmd

A

All

Baltic SECA

1.5

19/05/200 6

Marpol

All

Baltic SECA

1.5

11/08/20 11/08/2006 06

EU

Passenger ships

All EU

1.5

11/08/20 06

EU

All

North Sea & English Channel SECA

1.5

11/08/20 11/08/20 07

EU

All

North Sea & English Channel SECA

1.5

22/11/2007

Marpol

All

Californian waters and 24 24 NM of the Californian baseline

1.5 GO 11 0.5 MDO 12

01/07/20 09

CARB 13

All

All EU ports

0.10 0.10

01/01/2010

EU 14

Inland water way vessels

All EU inland water ways

0.10

01/01/2010

EU

All

Californian waters and 24 24 NM of the Californian baseline

0.10

01/01/2010

CARB

All

All emission controlled areas (ECAs)

1.0

01/07/2010 01/07/2010

Marpol

^ Regulation summary

USA and Canada are expected to join Emission Controlled Areas (ECA) in August 2012. 14 April 11 April EU Parliament passes North Sea SECA Sulphur Directive 1.5% 199/32EC

caliria 01 July 0.5% sulphur limit on MDO

01 Jauary All SECAs reduced by 0.1%

19 May nvmbr Global Sulphur limit Baltic Sea 1.5% 4.5% SUlphur content on BDN 22 July Publication of Sulphur Directive Directive 2006/3 3/ EC 2005

2006

2007

10 May Baltic Sea SECA 1.5%

2008

2009

06–10 obr MEPC 58 meets for adoption of proposed draft amendments to Annec Vl

11 Augu EU Member States laws enacted: – 1.5% in Baltic SECA – 1.5% for all passenger ships sailing between EU ports – Use of abatement technology as an alternative to 1.5% fuel

2010

2011

2012

2015

2020–2515

Jauary 2010 0.1% sulphur limit on all marine fuel used at berth in EU ports

caliria 01 July 0.1 sulphur limit on MDO

01 Jauary Global cap to be reduced to 0.5%

01 July All SECAs reduced to 1.0%

01 Jauary Global cap to be reduced to 3.5%

^ Emissions Legislative Overview (Updated January 2010)

11 Gas oil 12 Marine Diesel Oil 13 Caliornia Air Resources Board 14 European Union 15 Alternative date is 2025, to be decided by a review in 2018.

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How does this aect ships? These low sulphur uel oil requirements apply to all ships irrespective o lag (EU or non-EU), ship type, and date o construction or tonnage. At present, present, it has has been been stated stated that that there there will will be no dispe dispensat nsations ions granted granted to ships ships other other than those visiting the outermost EU regions. The outermost regions are the French overseas departments, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands. In each o these cases the local air quality standards must be maintained. The use o residual uel in slow speed main engines will still be allowed as these are not run continuously in port and the regulations do allow or the ship to enter and leave the berth ber th using low sulphur residual uel. Time is allowed or manoeuvring alongside and star t-up beore leaving the berth. The legislation is applicable to machinery using uel oil that will only be running when the ship is berthed. A limit limit o 0. 0.1% sulphur sulphur content content means that the use o o residual residual uel oil during time at the the berth is not permitted unless the use o exhaust gas scrubbers or selective catalytic reduction is employed and monitored by the use o emissions monitoring equipment. This is commonly reerred to as the use o abatement technology technology.. Owners are thereore aced with the use o gas oil only when at EU berths unless they have abatement technology itted to the equipment in use at that time.

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10

GLossARY

BDR Bunker Delivery Receipt CCAI Calculated Carbon Aromaticity Index CII Calculated Ignition Index DM Distillate Marine (as used in ISO 8217) H2S Hydrogen Sulphide IMO International Maritime Organization ISO International Standards Organisation (International Organisation or Standardisation) KOH KOH Potassium Hydroxide NOx Nitrous Oxides RM Residue Marine (as used in ISO 8217) SG Speciic Gravity SI International System o Units SOx Sulphurous Oxides TAN Total Acid Number TBN Total Base Number VI Viscosity Viscosity Index Index

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BUNKERING HAND SIGNALS FOR SHIP & BUNKER BARGE SLOW

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A MASTE R’S GUIDE TO: FUEL OIL PUBLICATION

A Master’s Guide to Usi ng Fuel Oil Onboa rd Ships is published by the managers’ London agents.

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A Master's Guide to Using Fuel Oil Onboard Ships

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