Used Oils and Agricultural Waste Make Viable Bunker Fuel

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday February 12, 2024

A duo of used oils and farming waste have been turned into viable bunker fuel by UK scientests

The results, according to the researchers, conform to marine fuel standards ISO 8216 and ISO 8217.

According to Abul Hossain, a senior lecturer at Aston University, there has been an awareness of "the potential of pyrolysis oils as renewable biofuels for use at sea in diesel engines". The stumbling block has been "their low energy content, high acidity and viscosity".

The research work has created five blends adding differing amounts of bio-oil, solvent and oil or fat and stored them in the dark for eight months, according to Aston University.

Tests showed the blends had improved their heat value, viscosity and density by around 25% to 40% and that they compiled with bunker fuel standards for use in diesel engines and boilers.

The paper states the oil blends can be used in stationary diesel engines as well as marine diesel engines for power generation.

The collaborative research was undertaken by UK and Indian universities and has been published in the journal Fuel.