By
Alex Smith |
Wallem Group has published a new white paper to ensure ships and crews are prepared to load, store and use biofuels in everyday vessel operations.
The Marine Biofuels: Adoption, use and best practice white paper suggests that biofuels can make a significant contribution to maritime decarbonisation, while also offering guidance on the precautions owners and crew need to consider before and during use.
The white paper examines the regulatory landscape surrounding marine biofuels, along with the specifics of International Maritime Organization compliance and the transparency needed to use fuels that vary batch to batch. It also describes how these blends of fatty acid methyl ester and residual or distillate fuels impact storage tanks, fuel systems, machinery and crew training, reflecting on the need for additional insurance cover.
Wallem provides recommendations for owners on the assurances they need from equipment suppliers before introducing biofuels. It also explores the consequences for biofuel users of improper blending, acidity, biodegradation and microbial growth, fouling, waxing and clogging. The white paper provides recommendations for testing, materials selection, segregation, temperature control, tank cleaning and fuel line flushing. For long-term biofuel use, the publication recommends that engines are retrofitted with hardened fuel pumps and corrosion-resistant coatings.
In addition, Wallem discusses crew training gaps and offers recommendations for monitoring, measuring and checking biofuel use to ensure that personnel, systems and the ship remain safe.
“The combination of a centralised digital system for real-time tracking and analysis of biofuel consumption and a skilled and well-trained crew can be transformative for enabling the future-ready maritime fleet,” said Abhijit Ghosh, head of maritime technology and innovation in ship management at Wallem Group.