The regulation will have a major impact on marine fuel and lubricants supply chains, as new compliant fuel blends, alternative fuels and lubricants enter the market. Vessel operators have little time remaining to determine what will be the right and most cost-efficient compliance solution for them. This could either be through compliant distillate fuels, alternative fuels such as liquefied natural gas plus the right lubrication products, or installing emission technologies such as exhaust gas scrubbers. Regardless of the chosen route, there will inevitably be an impact on vessel operations and therefore efficiency and cost.

Ship owners and operators will likely have to address operational challenges including fuel compatibility and stability issues, and differing parameters regarding viscosity, flash point and pour points of lubricants.

Following the implementation of the regulation on January 1, 2020, it is crucial for vessel operators to be vigilant in understanding the effects of lower sulfur on the health and condition of vital engine components, as well as the impact on the overall operational efficiency and safety of the ship. Without this, they are likely to face unexpected breakdowns and costly repairs, and damage to operational track records with important industry bodies.

Catalytic fines, known as cat fines, are abrasive particles comprised of aluminum and silicon oxides found in heavy fuel oil. They can cause severe abrasive wear and create irreversible damage to both a vessels fuel injection equipment, pistons and cylinder liners. When fuel is stored for extended periods of time, cat fines settle out of the fuel and build up as sediment in storage/settlement tanks. If the tanks are not drained regularly, this sludge can enter the fuel system and cause substantial damage especially during periods of bad weather when the ships motion can stir these up. No amount of lubricant technology can help solve this problem either.

Cat fines also reduce the surface lubrication properties and accelerate the rate of wear in cylinder liners. Taking into consideration that an average liner replacement cost is in the region of $65,000, combined with the operational and cost impact of unplanned downtime, this quickly becomes a significant issue. This escalates further when taking into account multiple cylinder engines (six to 16 cylinders) leading to a substantial expense that could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Proactively testing for the presence of cat fines can deliver significant cost savings and safeguard against potentially catastrophic damage. Existing tools in the market can provide ship owners with an accurate indication of the presence of these damaging elements almost instantly, allowing them to take preventative action to avoid critical damage before it occurs. Online sensors can alert engineers to accelerated levels of wear in the system in real time, allowing for immediate remedial action to mitigate the risk of further damage.

Marine insurers have increasingly raised concerns over the risk of engine damage arising from the sulfur cap regulation. According to the International Union of Marine Insurance, machinery damage accounts for 40 percent of hull claims and 30 percent of costs, with reports identifying cat fines as a major cause of engine failure. In a separate study by The Swedish Club, it was found that auxiliary engine claims account for 13 percent of total machinery claim costs and 16 percent of the volume, with an average cost per claim of $345,000. Claims of this nature can realistically amount to millions of dollars for insurers, which in todays challenging climate is becoming unsustainable, leading for calls to ensure ship owners are taking a proactive and smart approach to preventing damage. The study also notes that poor lubrication oil management was a major contributing factor to engine breakdowns.

With these significant costs involved, it is crucial for vessel operators to take a proactive approach to condition monitoring to understand the health of engine components and how to avoid accelerated wear and unnecessary maintenance costs when it is not required. It is vital for everyone concerned in the operation of the vessel to have a good working knowledge of the physical characteristics of fuel, hydraulic and lubricating oil, coupled with an awareness of sampling and testing systems and processes, to drive operational efficiency. By doing so, ship owners can achieve better control of the risks, prevent unplanned downtime and better manage maintenance requirements in the most cost-efficient manner.

The practice of condition monitoring has evolved significantly in recent years. Traditional methods involved sending samples to laboratories for testing and analysis, incurring delay that could result in damage to an engine through late diagnosis of a problem, escalating both the severity of the damage and the associated repair costs.

The development of onboard test kits has provided operators with the simple tools they need to assess machinery health and take timely preventative action, and this has been continually supported by the development of intelligent online sensor technology that provide the crew with easy to understand information.

Today, we are seeing a revolution in condition monitoring with the rise of reagentless testing. This provides vessel operators with the capability to measure a variety of oil condition parameters onboard with one simple test, instead of relying on multiple condition monitoring test kits and multiple tests.

With the right tools, information and knowledge, ship owners and vessel operators can implement effective maintenance practices that safeguard key operating equipment before catastrophic damage occurs. This will mitigate the risk of costly repairs, unplanned downtime or even catastrophic failures that risk the safety of those on board.

LARRY RUMBOL

has more than 35 years of experience in the marine industry, first in container shipping then engineering and ship repair. He is currently marine condition monitoring manager at Parker Kittiwake, a manufacturer of condition monitoring products for fuels and lubrication.