In recent weeks, more than a dozen vessels have reported power problems and blackout failures after refueling in Singapore, fearing the problem could affect a growing number of vessels. Fuel testing and inspection agency Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) issued a warning yesterday that it believes the problem stems from contaminants chlorinated hydrocarbons found in fuel delivered by two suppliers in Singapore, the world's largest fuel market.
This is the VPS's second warning in recent days about potential fuel issues in the Singapore market, though they don't see it as reflecting the overall quality of the fuel supplied in Singapore. But FABAS, the Lloyd's LR fuel testing service, also issued a warning that random samples of chlorinated fuel had been found. They recommend observing sampling methods and communicating with fuel suppliers, while warning that standard ISO testing cannot detect the contaminant.
The VPS said 14 ships had problems, some of which had to be towed into port. During February and March of this year, 34 vessels were found to have received high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) from the two suppliers in Singapore and were affected by pollution. "More and more ships are being affected by contaminated bunker fuel," it said. ”
The VPS said the supply of fuel for each delivery actually meets the requirements of the ISO 8217 standard. However, a more detailed screening of fuel samples showed that they were contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons up to 2000 ppm.
The VPS said the vessel's auxiliary engines had a fuel system failure, resulting in a loss of power and propulsion, resulting in a power outage. Fuel system failures are caused by the freezing of the fuel pump and plunger and the corrosion of the fuel drum, all of which are caused by fuel contamination.
The VPS added that fuel contamination can have a significant impact on vessel operators, including expensive damage and repair costs, voyage delays and time-consuming claims.
An Asian shipowner said the problem would affect scrubber-equipped vessels using HSFO fuel in Singapore. Scrubbers are devices used to reduce sulfur emissions. Ships with low-sulphur fuel oil are not affected, he said.
"Ships that use contaminated HSFOs as bunker may have to stop at nearby ports for processing, which essentially delays the voyage by a few days." A Singapore shipbroker said.
Earlier, another fuel testing agency, Maritec, also warned that there could be a problem with Singapore's fuel supply. While not causing a ship blackout, they warned that low-sulfur oil (VLSFO) samples delivered in Singapore showed flash points as low as 53, while the Solas convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) states that "fuel with a flash point below 60 shall not be used". They warned that ships that may have received contaminated fuel oil would need to take additional safety precautions in case of a fire and repeat sampling, especially if the fuel was mixed in the bunker.
Such incidents could affect marine fuel demand in Singapore. Singapore is the world's largest supplier of bunker fuel oil, located at the crossroads of a centuries-old trade route that connects Asia to Europe, the Middle East and the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Losing power at sea is extremely dangerous and increases the risk of collision or stranding. In 2018, many ships suffered serious technical problems and mechanical damage after accepting the contaminated fuel oil originally supplied by Houston.