Europe is grappling with multiple cases of defective low sulphur fuel oil with the IMO 2020 regulation less than two weeks away.
FOBAS, the fuel verification company owned by class society Lloyd’s Register, has issued alerts this week about non-compliant fuels cropping up across the continent.
In Estonia, one ship using VLSFO made from shale oil encountered sludging, particularly during purification and around its filters. FOBAS warned there is historic evidence of fuel containing Estonian shale oil creating sludging issues and that other vessels are likely to face similar issues.
In Western Europe, meanwhile, FOBAS warned it had detected a number of cases of high and off-spec sediment fuels being sold at the port of Antwerp as well as at Rotterdam and Amsterdam. These defective types of fuel could result in excessive sludge deposition leading to engine and turbocharger damage.
