Low Flashpoint Bunkers in Singapore

by Dr. R. Vis, Director, Viswa Lab
Tuesday June 12, 2018

Over the last ten days, Viswa Lab has identified 3 fuels with low flashpoint (52.5, 56.5 and 58 degC) from the port Singapore. All three off spec fuels were RMG 380 grade heavy fuel oils. The off‐spec fuels were supplied by a single supplier.

This fuel falls outside the SOLAS and ISO 8217 requirements of flash point of 60.00 degC minimum. As per SOLAS requirements, the minimum flash point of any fuel carried in the tanks of a ship should be not less than 60.00 deg C. There is no permissible negative tolerance. This applies to any fuel onboard the vessel (with exception of fuel for lifeboats which can be grade DMX with a flash point min of 43 degC).

When you are ordering fuels from Singapore you should insist on getting the actual flash point values from the supplier.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. 

Email: customerhelp@viswalab.com

About Dr. R. Vis

Dr. R. Vis, whose name VISWA LAB carries, is first a Marine Engineer and has a Doctorate in Metallurgical Engineering, a Masters in Internal Combustion. He is on the Roster of Experts of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a Consultant to the Department of Transportation (Maritime Administration – Federal Government of USA), and a member of CIMAC Working Group for Heavy Fuels and Lube Oils and ASTM D2 Committees. Dr. Vis has personally inspected over 4,000 ships as a Classification Surveyor, has had many publications in highly regarded journals, and is globally referred to as the “bunker guru”. After his career with American Bureau of Shipping, he worked as a scientist with NASA for 6 years before starting the lab. Viswa Lab is the second biggest lab in Bunker Fuel Testing in terms of the samples tested. Viswa Lab is also involved with Energy Efficiency, Emission Reduction, Scrubbers, EEOI and instrumentation for all these.

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