EMEA News
Rotterdam Proposing Ban on Bunker Contaminants
The Port Authority of Rotterdam is proposing a ban on trade and loading of bunker oil containing six "undesirable substances," Platts reports.
The rules would stop the trade of coal tar, black tar, monomers, polymers, creosote oil and acids, which the port said are toxic and damaging to ship's engines.
"We don't want these products in Rotterdam and are not afraid of excluding volumes that contain them," said Roland van Assche, director of oil storage, refining, and shipping for the port.
The list is a product of a working group including the port, oil majors BP, Shell, Total, and Litasco, as well as Dutch energy industry groups, and bunker supplier OW Global Trading.
Some industry representatives said the difficulty of tracing material in the residual fuel supply chain will represent a barrier to adopting the ban.
"These substances are hardly present and it's already common for blenders to avoid these, but polychlorophenols (PCPs) and monochlorophenols (MCBs) [both toxic substances] do find their way into the pool from cutter stocks," said Alex de Wilt, bunker trader for OW Global Trading in Rotterdam.
Vincent de Vos, managing director of OW Bunker said most bunkers delivered in Rotterdam already comply with the standards.
"Currently those [bunker suppliers and traders] who aren't so cautious have an advantage, that is wrong," he said.
"These rules would create a more level playing field."
Van Assche said the industry's public image in the Netherlands has been hurt by concerns about waste and contaminants in fuel oil.
He added that the standards may eventually be combined with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Standard Organisation (ISO) rules, but no upcoming changes to those rules are planned, and the port is eager to act quickly on the issue.
The Port Authority will meet with the International Bunkering Industry Association (IBIA) next week to discuss the proposal.
Fathom discussed some issues around fuel quality, including the potential for production of polymers during blending processes, in a Ship & Bunker feature last year.
