Cashew nutshell marine biofuel causes issues for some ships, says testing company
SINGAPORE, Nov 22 (Reuters) – A number of ships in Singapore and Rotterdam reported operational issues in latest months after utilizing marine gas blended with cashew nutshell liquid biofuel, gas testing company CTI-Maritec mentioned in an advisory on Thursday.
Singapore-based CTI-Maritec mentioned it examined samples from the affected ships and located the marine gas was blended with cashew nutshell liquid that got here from undeclared supply supplies or manufacturing processes.
The ships had reported operational issues together with gas sludging, injector failure, filter clogging, system deposits and corrosion of turbocharger nozzle rings, the company mentioned.
CTI-Maritec didn’t title the vessels or delivery traces concerned, and it was not instantly clear what number of ships had been affected.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Port of Rotterdam didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
CTI-Maritec suggested ship-owners to not use 100% cashew nut liquid as a marine gas or as a mixing element, or unestablished bio-products in marine diesel engines.
It mentioned their use would contravene steerage from the Worldwide Maritime Organisation on the availability of gas oil to ships.
Cashew nut liquid is a non-FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) biofuel, which is a byproduct of the cashew nut trade. Whereas it has been touted in its place renewable gas, it additionally has excessive acid values and is corrosive.
Ship-owners have been exploring numerous marine biofuel blends as a substitute for dirtier bunker fuels as a way to minimize emissions.
The newest model of the ISO 8217 marine gas specification specifies the usage of accepted biofuels together with FAME-based biofuels and hydrotreated vegetable oil.
There is no such thing as a marine gas specification obtainable for cashew nut liquid from any authorised physique, CTI-Maritec mentioned.
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Cashew nutshell marine biofuel causes issues for some ships, says testing company, supply
