Integr8 Fuels warns about bunker quality

Integr8 has released its second report, “Bunker Quality Trends,” which evaluates data on the delivery of 60 million tons of bunker fuel over six months. The report shows that ships refueling in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp port area are 14 times more likely to make deliveries of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) with a sulfur content above the prescribed maximum of 0.5% than ships bunkering in Singapore, which is the world’s largest bunker port. This follows a series of high-profile incidents in Singapore where around 200 ships were affected by bad bunkers in the early months of 2022 due to clogged pipes and filters.

The report comes ahead of the launch of the next Emission Control Area (ECA) in the Mediterranean Sea in 2025, affecting thousands of ships, which must burn fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1% throughout the ECA. The report also provides owners with an overview of fuel quality across a range of bunker ports, addressing issues such as the likelihood of owners facing out-of-spec bunker situations, which parameters are most problematic, and which ports pose the greatest risks. The report is available on a new website, which is a basis for bunkering decisions such as timing, location, costs, and avoiding possible delays.

Tags: regulation,ship operation,Asia,Europe


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