Additive Firm Sees Excessive Storage Times Behind VLSFO Stability Issues

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday May 17, 2021

VLSFO blends being left for too long in their finished state may be behind stability issues for the new fuels, according to additive firm Newport Fuel Solutions.

The varied nature of the new VLSFO blends was always likely to result in stability problems in some cases as unsuitable or mistreated fuels separate in tanks, and there have been sporadic reports of these problems since the IMO 2020 transition.

"This fuel instability pandemic seems concurrent with the global COVID-19 version, and for good reason," Ralph Lewis, CEO of Newport, wrote in an emailed note last week.

"A major contributing factor is longer than expected fuel storage times, thanks to the COVID-19 slowdown in bunker deliveries.

"Fuel testing of a sample within days of receipt will often be conducted too early for the problem to be detected, as instability reactions are progressive and become much worse over time.

"For this reason, onboard spot testing for compatibility is often inadequate with VLSFO.

"Within a few days of bunkering the purification system begins to struggle."

Newport recommends two of its additive products as a solution to this problem: NP-HFO and NP-FOT. 

"Sludge and insoluble precipitation are greatly reduced," Lewis said.

"Icing on the cake is a marked improvement in thermal stability which provides enhanced ignition quality, inhibition of damaging deposits, and reductions in particulates and unburned hydrocarbons."

Ship & Bunker News Team
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