Fuel changeover: what are the risks of a wrong procedure?
With the SECA areas in various areas of the world demanding the use of low-sulphur fuels, the costs of continuous operation in those areas have gone up drastically. Marine fuels <0,1% S are much more expensive compared to the fuels where higher levels of sulphur are still allowed.
Some operators switch to MDO for continuous operations in SECA areas, such as various offshore and dredging operators operating in the North Sea. Whenever the job leads them out of the SECA area, they can change back to HFO. Switching over between tanks and systems already needs to be cast in a ‘fuel change over manual’ that needs to be kept on board, but there are still some things to keep in mind if a change in operating area is upcoming for your vessel, either inside or outside a SECA -area.
-heating systems for HFO have to be isolated in case tanks are to be used for MDO. Especially in case of steam (quite uncommon, but still seen sometimes in Asian newbuilds) the system needs to be blanked off and purged.
-for DP 2 / 3 vessels, the fuel supply is a part of the FMEA document, and if any change in fuel is made this needs to be taken in account. Other settling- and day tanks in use? Check is the system is still redundant.
-for prolonged periods on MDO, check if you need to change any settings for your engines. As the calorific value per volume for MDO is less, the output of your engine is less which will have a direct effect on your output.
-make sure your crew is familiarized with all the changeover procedures! When changing over to full MDO, in some cases a direct connection with your precious MDO-supplied generator engines. A guarantee for clogged filters and fouling of the system.
If you need any assistance in checking up your system and procedures, just give us a call!