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Heavy Fuel Oil News

01 Mar 2024

US Gulf Coast Fuel Oil Imports Hit Five-year Low

© scandamerican / Adobe Stock

Imports of fuel oil bound for the U.S. Gulf Coast fell to a five-year low last month as refiners ran more cheap, heavy Canadian crude and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pressured fuel oil flows.Fuel oil deliveries to the Gulf Coast dwindled in February to just 318,000 barrels per day (bpd), a 20% drop from the prior month and marking their lowest level since February 2019, data from tanker tracking firm, Kpler showed.Heavy fuel oil feedstocks like high sulfur fuel oil…

26 Feb 2024

IMO’s PPR11 Agrees Guidance on Key Environmental Issues

Source: IMO

The IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 11) agreed new guidance on several key environmental issues.Meeting from February 19 to 23, 2024, the following guidance will now be submitted to the Marine Environment Protection Committee for approval this March (MEPC 81) and October (MEPC 82):• the safe transport of plastic pellets by sea• best practices for cutting black carbon emissions from ships operating in or near the Arctic• reducing risks of use and carriage…

03 Feb 2024

Americas Cup Innovation & a Carbon-Free Shipping Future

Image © AYRO  UNI PROD

The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) represented by BMW Oracle Racing and the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the Americas Cup defending champion, represented by Team Alinghi were entwined in a 2.5-year legal battle over multiple court cases, including hearings in the New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, prior to the 33rd edition of the race, due to take place in 2010.The parties disagreed about the location, format, and restrictions on boat design, all of which were changed by the courts prior to the race.

24 Jan 2024

Aurora Botnia - RoPax Ferry + Greentech Proving Ground

Photo: Wasaline

Built by Rauma Marine Constructions, in Rauma, Finland, and launched in 2021, the 150-meter-long Aurora Botnia boasts a long list of onboard equipment that help it to earn its “green” designation, a label that is confirmed via a Clean Design notation from classification society DNV. The ship is also compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target.Wasaline CEO Peter Ståhlberg describes Aurora Botnia as “a masterpiece of cooperation” and noted that the vessel is over 80% domestic made."I'm really proud of the Aurora Botnia.

07 Dec 2023

Market Watch: Container Freight Rates Fall, Costs Soar

"So far this year, container volumes have fallen nearly 2% year-on-year while average freight rates have declined, reaching 2019 levels in September. Since then, they have continued to fall. However, the cost to charter a ship remains 25% higher than in 2019,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Liner operators continue to struggle with a worsening supply/demand balance, affecting freight rates. On average, the fleet has year-to-date grown 5% and 19% compared with 2022 and 2019 respectively.

21 Nov 2023

Accelerating US CTV Market Development with Hybrid Solutions

© twixter / Adobe Stock

As the world looks to renewable energy sources to combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, offshore wind has emerged as a promising frontier in the United States. A report by the University of California Berkeley released in August concluded that due to the nation’s long coastlines with sustained winds in many areas and falling turbine costs, offshore wind could feasibly supply between 10% and 25% of the country’s energy demand by 2050.While that may paint a rosy picture of a cleaner…

21 Aug 2023

LPG: Dual-Fuel Engines Prove Their Worth

2022 was the first year all 15 VLGCs of BW LPG’s dual-fuel LPG retrofitted ships were sailing. Image courtesy of BW LPG

BW LPG has demonstrated the value of dual-fuel LPG operations beyond the company’s initial aim of meeting IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap regulations.In October 2020, the LPG carrier BW Gemini became the first very large gas carrier (VLGC) to have its low-speed main engine converted to an LPG dual-fuel engine. The project started several years earlier, sparked by Oslo-listed BW LPG’s preparations for the IMO’s 2020 Sulphur Cap regulations.Compared to heavy fuel oil, LPG reduces Sox emissions by approximately 97%…

27 Jul 2023

Why Ammonia Is the Fuel of the Future for Maritime Shipping

© egokhan / Adobe Stock

Commercial maritime shipping has a fuel problem. While the industry has cemented its position as the essential piece of the global supply chain—moving more than 80% of all international goods by volume—its dependence on carbon-emitting fuel has come with a high cost.Maritime shipping is responsible for roughly 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization. The longer that ships continue to run on carbon-emitting fuel, the harder it will be to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and to prevent the worst damage predicted by climate scientists.

28 Jun 2023

Engine Air Compression System Boosts Fuel Efficiency 3-6%

Cross section view of the VCR system. Image courtesy NYK

NYK will install a variable compression ratio system (VCR system) on two large LNG-fueled coal carriers to be built at Oshima Shipbuilding. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2025, and NYK reports this will be the first time for VCR systems to be installed on vessels, including existing vessels that use heavy fuel oil as their main fuel.The VCR system can adjust the air compression ratio in the engine combustion chamber to an optimal balance according to engine power and LNG fuel properties.

01 Jun 2023

Sener Designs Biofuel Tanker Than Can Capture CO2 from Other Ships

©Sener

Spanish engineering and technology group Sener said Thursday it had completed the conceptual design of a new sustainable biofuel tanker aimed at supplying biofuels during bunkering operations, that is also capable of capturing CO2 from other vessels.The vessel would be able to carry heavy fuel oil (HFO), very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), biofuels and marine gas oils (MGO), and also store the captured CO2 from nearby vessels."The new vessel has been designed to operate in compliance with the energy efficiency and emission reduction requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

24 Apr 2023

Berge Bulk, ABS Examine Methanol Refit for Bulk Carrier

(Seated left to right) Panos Koutsourakis, ABS Vice President of Global Sustainability; and James Marshall, Berge Bulk CEO. (Standing left to right) Arnab Ghosh, ABS Director, Business Development; Sylvain Julien, Berge Bulk Head of Innovation and Newbuilding; Paolo Tonon, Berge Bulk Technical Director. Image courtesy ABS

A Joint Development Project (JDP) to evaluate the feasibility of converting a bulk vessel to methanol fuel propulsion was signed by Berge Bulk CEO James Marshall and ABS Vice President of Global Sustainability Panos Koutsourakis.Per the agreement, the team will examine the possibility of retrofitting the 300-m, 210,000-dwt heavy fuel oil propelled bulk carrier Berge Mauna Kea to operate on methanol fuel. The six-month study is already underway.“Retrofitting alternative fuel capability to the global fleet is going to be critical if we are to achieve our sustainability goals.

15 Mar 2023

Despite '22 Stumble, Share of Ships with Scrubbers Rising

“Scrubbers were installed on 399 ships in 2022, a fall of 24% y/y, and currently 13% of bulker, container, and tanker ships have a scrubber installed. Despite the slowing rate of installations, the share of ships with a scrubber is set to increase in coming years as 17% of ships in the shipyards’ order books are expected to have a scrubber installed,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Since January 1, 2020, ships have had to use ultra or low sulphur fuel (eg ULSFO or VLSFO) to comply with limits for sulphur emissions.

07 Mar 2023

Debunking Four Myths that Stand in the Way of Wind-powered Cargo Ships

(Image: Oceanbird)

Sailing cargo ships are making a genuine comeback.Japanese bulk carrier MOL is operating a wind-assisted ship. American food giant Cargill is working with Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie to deploy WindWings on its routes. Swedish shipping company Wallenius is aiming for Oceanbird to cut emissions by up to 90%. The French start-up Zephyr & Borée has built the Canopée, which will transport parts of European Space Agency’s Ariane 6 rocket this year.I researched the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.

24 Feb 2023

Marine Power - CEO in Focus: Chris-Marine’s Jens Groth

Jens Groth, CEO, Chris-Marine. Photo courtesy Chris-Marine

Malmö, Sweden-based Chris-Marine is long-tenured in the business of keeping engines running smoothly, efficiently. Led by its energetic young CEO Jens Groth, this 60-year-old- company finds itself in transition: firmly rooted in its traditional business of creating the tools and technique to keep commercial ship engines running smoothly, but at the same time transitioning its revenue to include services, particularly as ships at sea increasingly run with fewer, less experienced crew.

07 Feb 2023

Maritime Transport: Fuels, Emissions and Sustainability

Copyright AdriFerrer/AdobeStock

International trade by sea has long been a key part of the world economy and approximately 90% of traded commodities is reliant on shipping. Once wind-propelled in the days of sail, the current generation of ships now heavily rely on fossil fuels. Fossil fuel propulsion contributes to global warming with carbon emissions approximating 940 MtCO2e per year and also has health implications for communities surrounding ports through the release of air pollutants. The environmental impact of fossil-fuelled engines is further compounded by their use in port infrastructure…

17 Jan 2023

Houlder, Blue Sea Power Developing Floating LNG-to-power Barges for Greek Islands

©Houlder

Houlder, the design and engineering consultancy, is collaborating with Blue Sea Power, an integrated energy solution provider as a gas-to-power company based in Athens, to develop three innovative floating LNG-to-power barges (FSRPs).According to the partners, the FSRP barges, which are set to be operational by 2025, will efficiently provide greener, lower emission baseload and peak power to the non-interconnected islands of Kos, Chios, and Lesvos. This power will be used when existing renewable solar and wind energy utilization reaches its technical limits.

16 Jan 2023

Sunflower Kurenai: Japan's First LNG-fueled Ferry Enters Service (Gallery)

©Mitsui O.S.K. Lines

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Ltd. said Monday that the first of Japan's first two LNG-fueled ferries, the Sunflower Kurenai, owned by MOL and operated by its group company Ferry Sunflower entered service on January 13.The ferry serves the Osaka-Beppu route between Sunflower Ferry Terminal (Osaka Prefecture) and Beppu International Tourist Port (Oita Prefecture) as a replacement for the ferry Sunflower Ivory."Compared to earlier ferries, the new ferry offers greater transport capacity and convenience for both cargo and passenger transport.

11 Jan 2023

Eagle Bulk Trials Biofuels

The Stamford Eagle is shown here sailing on 100% sustainable biofuel near Sauda in Norway’s Sandsfjord. (Photo: Eagle Bulk Shipping)

U.S.-based dry bulk shipowner Eagle Bulk Shipping on Wednesday revealed it recently tested biofuels as a means to reduce carbon emissions from its vessel Stamford Eagle.The voyage, completed on GoodFuels' MDF1-100 sustainable biofuel, provided an approximately 80% reduction in net well-to-wake CO2 emissions compared to equivalent fossil fuel, the company said. A broad range of vessel owners and operators, from dredging contractors to cruise lines, have started to run their ships on biofuels as the global maritime industry explores ways to decarbonize.Naturally lower in sulfur…

18 Nov 2022

Seymour Sun, Grouse Sun Garner Green Ship Award

Seymour Sun. Image courtesy NYK Bulkship Asia Pte. Ltd.

Delivered in January 2022 and April 2022 respectively from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea, the Seymour Sun and Grouse Sun are owned by NYK Bulkship Asia Pte. Ltd., were recognized recently with the "Green Ship Award" at the Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) Forum 2022 hosted by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).Each ship measures 186 x 32 m, is 30,873 gt and flies the Singapore flag.The ships have each been equipped with a dual-fuel engine that can use heavy fuel oil and methanol.

19 Sep 2022

Towboats Collide on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is monitoring a barge with heavy fuel oil aground after a two towboats collided near Plaquemine, La., at mile marker 43.5 on the Port Allen route of the Gulf intracoastal waterway.Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge responded after watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans were notified that the vessels Creole Crusader and the Jack Odom collided at approximately 12:30 a.m. on SaturdayThe Creole Crusader was towing two barges containing heavy fuel oil, and the Jack Odom was towing two empty barges and three barges of steel bars. All seven barges remain on scene, two barges were intentionally grounded to prevent flooding or pollution.No injuries or pollution have been reported.The waterway was closed at mile marker 43.5 to all vessel traffic…

02 Sep 2022

Pollution Fears Grow as Grounded Ship Leaks Oil off Gibraltar

(Photo: HM Government of Gibraltar)

Gibraltar struggled on Friday to minimize any environmental impact of a fuel leak from a bulk carrier three days after it collided with a tanker, as reports of oiled birds emerged and several beaches in Spain and the British territory flew red flags.The government of the enclave on the southern tip of Spain said all diesel fuel from tanks of the beached OS-35 had been removed.

31 Aug 2022

KNOT Takes Delivery of Dual-Fuel Shuttle Tanker. Charter Secured with Eni

Credit: NYK

Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers (KNOT), an affiliate of NYK,  has taken delivery of a dual-fuel LNG shuttle tanker built at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering yard in South Korea.

16 Aug 2022

Venezuela to Support Reconstruction of Cuban Port Damaged by Oil Fire

© Oleksii / Adobe Stock

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday that Venezuela would support Cuba in the reconstruction of its only supertanker port in Matanzas, which was partially destroyed by a fire after lightning struck one of the its crude tanks.Cuba has long relied on the 2.4 million-barrel Matanzas terminal, about 130 km from Havana, for most imports and storage of crude and heavy fuel oil.Maduro directed Venezuela's oil minister and the president of state-run PDVSA to get in touch with the corresponding Cuban authorities "to begin the design of the reconstruction of the supertanker yard," he said