Intertek: ISO8217 Reporting Not Accurate Enough for 2015 ECA Rules

today’s lab instrumentation is capable measuring down to parts per million levels of sulfur

Bunker testing agency Intertek has warned that official ISO8217 reporting methods are not accurate enough for testing bunkers with a maximum sulfur content of 0.10 percent from January 1, 2015, when there will be a tightening of sulfur rules within Emissions Control Area (ECA)s.

"With the introduction of 0.10 percent sulfur ECAs from January 1, 2015, the 95 percent confidence limit is actually quite a narrow window. Its just 0.01 percent," Steve Bee, Global Business Director, Intertek (Lintec) ShipCare Services told delegates gathered for the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA)'s Shipping 2014 annual conference last week.

Bee explained that while today's lab instrumentation is capable of measuring down to parts per million levels of sulfur, the ISO methods within ISO8217 require that results greater than 0.1 percent be reported to only 2 decimal places.

"So for example, should a sulfur result be found to be 0.107 percent, it has exceed the specification level but it's within the 95 percent confidence limit. The result would actually be reported under that criteria as 0.11 percent [which is no longer within the 95 percent confidence limit]."

"So I think ISO would need to consider how the sulfur results are going to be expressed from January 2015 and ideally expressed to three decimal places to avoid issues."

Current rules for vessels operating within ECAs mean they must use a marine fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 1.0 percent by weight, or where permitted have an approved equivalent method of compliance.