NSI Comments on Day of the Seafarer 2019

Amidst all our focus in finding the right type of fuel in the right location and at the right price we can often lose sight of the ultimate end uses. I wanted to take this opportunity today on international seafarers day to remind us all that it is our colleagues at sea that are going to have to put into practice  all our ideas and notions; and ultimately carry the significant burden of legal liabilities if we don't help them comply.

So whether your company has decided to go with scrubbers or chosen compliant fuel 2020 will represent new and significant challenges to your seastaff.

If you have chosen the scrubber option be that open loop or hybrid your crews face significant challenges.

• New machinery to maintain – increased workload at time when crews are already stretched
• Handling new and potentially corrosive chemicals and all the health and safety risks that this entails
• Discharge of waste materials
• Enhanced record keeping
• Enhanced inspection regimes from port state / vetting authorities
• Potentially slightly different fuel oil qualities and difficulties of delivery logistics
• Difficulty in enhanced planning to always ensure fuel oil onboard in a market where fuel oil will not be available in every port

If your company has chosen the route of compliant fuel a slightly different set of challenges await.

• Handling a fuel where greater quality differences will exist from stem to stem
• Ensuring lines / Tanks are suitably prepared prior to 1st bunkering
• Concerns around comingling and changeover between grades
• Long term stability of fuels and a more frequent fuel testing program
• Enhanced inspection regimes from port state / vetting authorities
• Difficulty in enhanced planning to always ensure fuel oil onboard in a market where fuel oil will not be available in every port

It is clear improved planning and compliance are going to be two key problem areas in a market that will become more complex with less options. Our offer to our customers is to help where we can,

• www.2020planning.com is our world map showing availability and spec of fuels – we are working towards a data light version of this to make available to our customers ship to enable a  Master and Chief to have best quality, fully comprehensive information available for their planning.
• FONARS – our systems have been designed to be able to provide the evidence required to support a FONAR application in a few simple clicks which we can either put into NSI FONAR application template or provide the raw data for an owner to use in their own format.

We wish all at sea today a safe, happy and successful voyage and send our commitment that we are here to help with the challenges of 2020.