Quadrise Relocates Emulsion Bunker Fuel Research Base to the UK

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday November 20, 2015

Quadrise Fuels International plc (QFI) Thursday announced that it has signed an agreement with the University of Surrey in Guildford, which will enable the company to move its primary emulsion fuels research base from Sweden to the UK.

QFI explains that the agreement secures the shared use of the university's Centre for Petroleum and Surface Chemistry (CPSC) by way of a £78,000 ($119,250) payment by QFI, renewable annually.

"The CPSC has first class facilities and is ideally equipped with additional hardware and expertise to meet QFI's primary and applied research needs," explained QFI, noting that the research base will be headed by Professor Spencer Taylor from the university's Department of Chemistry.

QFI adds that the company's existing Quadrise Research Facility (QRF) in Essex will be expanded to "meet anticipated business support requirements," as well as to develop new formulations of its Multiphase Superfine Atomised Residue (MSAR) fuel in partnership with the university.

The overall research programme, which is to be coordinated with the QRF, will be aligned with the company's future business needs, says QFI.

Further, QFI notes that all intellectual property derived from applied research projects under the agreement will be exclusively owned by Quadrise, while any fundamental research and intellectual property developed under the agreement will be the property of the university, and intellectual property created from jointly conducted research will be likewise jointly owned.

In March, Quadrise Executive Chairman Ian Williams asserted the company is not dependent on fuel oil demand.

In September, Spain's Compañía Española de Petróleos, S.A.U. (CEPSA) signed a deal with Quadrise to trial supplying the alternative marine fuel supplier's emulsion MSAR fuel to Maersk Line ships