EMEA News
Intertek Lintec Bunker Alert: Low Flash Point Fuels in Antwerp
Over recent days, Intertek Lintec has tested a number of ULSGO bunker samples from vessels that have taken fuel in Antwerp that have shown flash points below the ISO 8217 minimum requirement of 60°C.
The samples in question were found to have a flash point between 56.5°C and 58.5°C.
The flash point of a fuel is the temperature at which flammable vapours ignite when an external flame is applied. The minimum flash point for fuel in the machinery space of a merchant ship is governed by international legislation and the value is 60°C.
SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations comment that fuel with a flash point below 60°C will render the vessel un-seaworthy (Regulation 15), and in most cases jeopardize the vessel's classification and insurance.
Vessels affected with low flash point bunkers will need to store the fuel with extreme caution as follows:
- The ambient temperatures of the space in which the fuel is stored should not be allowed to rise within 10°C of observed flash point
- Avoid hot working or any other heat source in the immediate area of the fuel oil storage tanks and vents.
Whilst this alert is not indicative of the general fuel quality from this port, if your vessel recently bunkered in Antwerp, we would strongly recommend that you have knowledge of the quality of the fuel prior to its use.
Ensure that the samples are taken correctly together with the supplier at the custody transfer point (Barge Manifold / Receiving Vessel Manifold) and witnessed by the ship's crew. The seal numbers of the samples drawn on the basis of the contract of supply must be recorded on the Bunker Delivery Note (BDN).
If you wish to discuss any of the points highlighted in this bunker alert, please feel free to contact our technical team on +44 (0)1325 390183 or email lintec.results@intertek.com.
About Intertek Shipcare
Intertek ShipCare is a proven global marine services partner, providing ship owners and operators with value added technical services key to damage prevention and the operational excellence of their vessels and fleets.
For more than 125 years companies around the world have depended on Intertek to assist in ensuring the quality and safety of key aspects of their marine business. Our range of quality and quantity measurement services were further enhanced in 2005 following the acquisition of one of the world's leading marine fuel testing companies, Lintec Testing Services Ltd. Our aim is to provide Ship owners and managers with a comprehensive range of easily-accessible services, combined under our ShipCare initiative.
By participating in ShipCare's dedicated fuel and lubricant sampling and testing program the risk of damage to expensive ship engines and powertrains from off-specification fuels and ageing lubricants is mitigated, while the potential danger of regulatory non-compliance is reduced. Similarly our global bunker quantity survey service, to ensure correct fuel delivery, can reduce physical shortages, demurrages and protests, which potentially add to overall operational costs.
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