With the enforcement of stricter regulations on gaseous emissions in the shipping industry, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Petroleum Services a global leader in marine fuel management has witnessed a 30 per cent increase in the volume of tested fuel samples at its Fujairah laboratory. Strategically located at the gateway to the Arabian Gulf, DNVPS Fujairah along with four other DNVPS laboratories, account for close to 70 per cent worldwide market share for contracted fuel quality testing services.
Marine fuel quality is regulated by the IMO MARPOL Annex VI as well as the European Union fuel sulphur directive. According to MARPOL Annex VI, marine fuels generally must not have sulphur content exceeding 4.5 per cent, while in the Sulphur Oxide Emission Control Areas (SECA), fuel sulphur is restricted to no more than 1.5 per cent.
Other than the Baltic Sea SECA, which has been effective since May 2006, the North Sea and English Channel SECAs will kick in this year. Ship operators will therefore face even greater pressure to have their fuels tested, particularly prior to their vessels entering these areas.
“Ever since the implementation of MARPOL Annex VI and the Baltic Sea SECA, ship operators have been concerned about whether the quality of their bunker purchases meets with new environmental standards. Laboratory analysis of representative fuel samples taken from a delivery is the most reliable way of determining this,” said Eivind Grostad, Senior Vice President & Regional Manager, DNV Middle East & India.
This year, the EU plans to get even tougher by imposing a 0.2 per cent sulphur limit on marine gas oils. By 2010, this will be further reduced to just 0.1 per cent.
“It is essential for suppliers and ships to demonstrate compliance to the regulatory procedures,” commented Colin Holloway, Middle East and Africa regional manager, DNV Petroleum Services. “Failure to do so will result in delays and even fines for the ships during port state control inspections.”
While regulations and conditions are becoming more complex, more operators are realising that managing marine fuels can also be cost effective. Fujairah-based Holloway added: “Apart from just getting the right quality and quantity of fuel at the lowest possible price, Total Fuel Management assesses the overall value by determining the maximum mileage from the total energy content in the fuel.”
Increasingly price-driven vessel operators now strive to achieve the best economic mileage out of every fuel purchase. In this regard, the cheapest available fuel may not provide enough propulsion capacity compared with a fuel that is more expensive but with higher energy content.
“As escalating fuel costs continue to eat into the profits of ship operators, many of them are keen to optimise their fuel investments. Total Fuel Management addresses all fuel-related issues throughout the typical shipping cycle, helping operators manage risk, implement environmental-friendly operations and comply with existing regulations,” concluded Holloway.
DNV Petroleum Services introduced the first commercial fuel testing programme for ships in 1981. Today, DNVPS operates a global network of customer service offices and five specialist fuel laboratories strategically located in Singapore, Rotterdam, Oslo, Houston and Fujairah. A subsidiary of Det Norske Veritas, DNVPS is committed to the corporate mission of safeguarding life, property and the environment.
