When new local sulphur legislation comes into force from 1st January 2012
Bunker supplier and trader OW Bunker has warned of potential safety issues that shipowners and operators will face in Turkish waters when new local sulphur legislation comes into force from 1st January 2012.
The ruling, delivered by the Turkish Chamber of Shipping and the Turkish General Directorate of Marine Transport states that: ‘…marine fuels whose sulphur content exceeds 0.1% by mass cannot be used as of 1st January 2012 in the inland vessels and in the vessels on the quay.’
“This is a significant move by the Turkish authorities and is much more restrictive than current sulphur regulations,” said Steffen Kortegaard, OW Bunker technical director.
The new Turkish regulations mean that 0.1% sulphur content gas oil must be used by vessels calling at Turkish ports between the end of the sea passage and the commencement of the sea passage, including in port anchorage areas.
However, this regulation will not be applicable for vessels transiting through the Turkish Straits, such as the Bosporus or Dardanelles, even if they drop anchor providing the vessels maintain transit status.
Kortegaard continued: “As we have seen in California, vessels that are used to burning heavy fuel oil face significant technical and safety challenges when switching to low sulphur products in order to allow them to manoeuvre.
“Unless the correct procedure is followed and there is a deep knowledge of the technical process, shipowners and operators could face real issues including a loss of power and potentially engine damage, which could have a significant impact on downtime and associated maintenance costs,” he said.
OW Bunker advised shipowners and operators to work closely with their fuel suppliers to fully understand the technical issues when switching to low sulphur products.
This includes identifying appropriate flash points and safety margins for storing and handling fuels, testing lubricity prior to distillate utilisation; ensuring the quality of fuel pumps and appropriately cooling the gas oil; implementing the right training procedures for crews; ensuring that there is a good length of time in changing between fuel oil and gas oil and analysing the filter pressure; using only duplex filters.
In addition, they should ensure that there is compatibility with the blended fuels; fitting a cooler with sufficient capacity in the low viscosity line and frequently testing pumps for leakages, as well as understanding unusual noises that might mean that there is a problem.
Source: OW Bunker
