In a recent development, International laboratory testing services firm Eurofins launched a new ‘Preventive Testing’ package to assist shipowners in the switchover and consumption of IMO 2020 compliant 0.5% sulphur limit marine fuels, says an article published in Manifold Times.
What is the need?
Bryan Quek, Business Unit Manager, Bunker, at Eurofins said that the new package was developed as requested by shipowner clients concerned with the consumption of new unfamiliar fuels.
Focus
Quek added that the ‘Preventive Testing’ package focuses on:
- detecting potential instability and
- incompatibility issues of 0.5% sulphur limit bunker fuels
that will be used by the shipping industry from Jan 1, 2020.
What are the items included in the test?
According to Quek, items tested under the new Preventive Testing package are:
- Stability,
- P-Value,
- Total Sediment,
- Xylene/Toluene Equivalent,
- Asphaltenes,
- Stability Reserve,
- Reverse Stability Number and
- GCMS.
“We identified these items as essential for any shipowners planning a smooth changeover to 0.5% sulphur limit marine fuels,” he added.
How is this different from routine testing?
“Our tests let stakeholders quickly make an informed decision whether or not to use the marine fuel supplied after bunkering.”
The new service builds upon the current ‘Routine Testing’ package offered by Eurofins.
The Routine Testing package checks for:
- Density,
- Sulphur,
- Flash Point,
- Acid Number,
- Metals, Water,
- Viscosity, and
- Pour Point.
Industry’s biggest challenge
Quek explains that industry players expect exposure to fuel contamination to increase only post IMO 2020, when the usage increases and blending of new fuels take place.
“We believe the same, and expect contaminated marine fuels to be one of the biggest challenges facing the bunkering industry moving forward.”
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Source: ManifoldTimes
