Low-sulfur Fuels Research Articles

Feasibility of the Northern Sea Route for seasonal transit navigation: The role of ship speed on ice and alternative fuel types for the oil product tanker market

The feasibility of the Northern Sea Route is assessed for seasonal operations of oil product tankers using alternative fuel types. A speed optimisation model is used that minimises the required freight rate (RFR) of a Long Range 2 (LR2) tanker against alternative routes. A cost model is developed that incorporates real hourly speed data from tanker voyages between the 2011 and 2019 summer/autumn seasons, and primary and secondary data regarding cost and operational factors. The analysis is based on naphtha and jet fuel/kerosene trades between Europe and Asia. A prospective ban on the use of High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO) in the Arctic, and alternative fuels, such as the new Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) are included to take into account of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2020 global sulphur limit and its long-term strategy towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

A method for assessing of ship fuel system failures resulting from fuel changeover imposed by environmental requirements

Environmental regulations instigated the technological and procedural revolution in shipping. One of the challenges has been sulfur emission control areas (SECA) and requirement of fuel changeover. Initially, many reports anticipated that new grades of low sulfur fuels might increase various technical problems in ship operation. This research develops a simple and easy to use method of the failure severity and intensity assessment in relation to fuel changeover. The scale of failure rate in the ship’s fuel system was evaluated qualitatively and quantitively, using developed failure frequency indicator and the time between failure. Based on 77 records of fuel system failures collected on seven ships, it has been found that frequency of failures related to SECA fuel changeover is on average nearly three times higher compared to the rest of sailing time. Their severity did not significantly change, but the structure of failures changed considerably. The method and presented results may help in improvement of ship’s systems design and on-board operational procedures.

A cost-benefit analysis of fuel-switching vs. use MGO: A CHINA-Europe container route case

With the increasingly strict environmental regulations, the relationship between supply and demand of ships in the post-epidemic era is tense, and ship operators are under tremendous pressure. In view of the existing strict sulfur emission reduction regulations and ship freight operating at high levels in the post-epidemic era, ship operators must choose cost-effective compliance options to create better environmental benefits. This study uses a cost-effective framework to analyze ship operations Supplier’s fuel switch and marine natural gasoline compliance options, and apply these options to specific liner routes through China’s SECA. We selected an international freight liner as the research object, and calculated the net present value of the compliance option in consideration of the fuel cost of the ship, the installation and operation and maintenance costs of the compliance option. The study mainly considered the influence of the navigation distance in the emission control area on the proportion of the total navigation distance, and also considered the fuel price difference that has a greater impact on ship operating costs. Our results show that in the post-epidemic era, in accordance with the requirements of environmental protection regulations, considering the ratio of SECA and the price difference between MGO and high-sulfur fuels, the use of fuel conversion is a necessary option. We also calculated the emissions of ships, and the results show that with the expansion of the emission control area, the use of MGO can achieve better emission reduction effects. Our results show that in the post-epidemic era, Considering the ratio of SECA and the price difference between low-sulfur and high-sulfur fuels, fuel conversion is the best option. We also calculated the emissions of ships, and the results show that with the expansion of the emission control area, the use of MGO oil can achieve better emission reduction effects.

Marine fuel refining technology improvement trade-offs: A game theoretic approach

The implementation of International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 sulfur cap requires ship operators to decrease fuels’ sulfur content and this may increase their demand for low-sulfur fuel (LSF). In anticipation, bunker companies can choose to upgrade their refining technology to produce better quality distillate and lighter oil. In this study, we consider a bunker supply chain consisting of bunker companies and a population of ship operators with two main marine fuel products, low-sulfur fuel (LSF) and high-sulfur fuel (HSF). We use Cournot game to model the competition between LSF and HSF under two different market channels (i.e., dual and single channels). The results show that bunker companies’ refining technology upgrading choice is affected by many operational parameters, such as the basic market demand, cost difference between LSF and HSF, market competition, variable and fixed cost for upgrading, the increase of market demand due to upgrading, and so on. Compared with a dual channel bunker company, a single channel bunker company is less likely to implement new refining technology. We further consider the scenario where bunker companies can make decisions after the realization of ship operators’ demand uncertainty. The findings are beneficial for both LSF and HSF bunker companies and may reach a win-win solution for bunker companies.

Detection of ship plumes from residual fuel operation in emission control areas using single-particle mass spectrometry

Abstract. Ships are among the main contributors to global air pollution, with substantial impacts on climate and public health. To improve air quality in densely populated coastal areas and to protect sensitive ecosystems, sulfur emission control areas (SECAs) were established in many regions of the world. Ships in SECAs operate with low-sulfur fuels, typically distillate fractions such as marine gas oil (MGO). Alternatively, exhaust gas-cleaning devices (“scrubbers”) can be implemented to remove SO2 from the exhaust, thus allowing the use of cheap high-sulfur residual fuels. Compliance monitoring is established in harbors but is difficult in open water because of high costs and technical limitations. Here we present the first experiments to detect individual ship plumes from distances of several kilometers by single-particle mass spectrometry (SPMS). In contrast to most monitoring approaches that evaluate the gaseous emissions, such as manned or unmanned surveillance flights, sniffer technologies and remote sensing, we analyze the metal content of individual particles which is conserved during atmospheric transport. We optimized SPMS technology for the evaluation of residual fuel emissions and demonstrate their detection in a SECA. Our experiments show that ships with installed scrubbers can emit PM emissions with health-relevant metals in quantities high enough to be detected from more than 10 km distance, emphasizing the importance of novel exhaust-cleaning technologies and cleaner fuels. Because of the unique and stable signatures, the method is not affected by urban background. With this study, we establish a route towards a novel monitoring protocol for ship emissions. Therefore, we present and discuss mass spectral signatures that indicate the particle age and thus the distance to the source. By matching ship transponder data, measured wind data and air mass back trajectories, we show how real-time SPMS data can be evaluated to assign distant ship passages.

A Novel Approach to Reduce the Environmental Footprint of Maritime Shipping

Maritime shipping is a strategic sector with a strong international vocation and management. The need to define regulations valid for many different countries without generating disparities of treatment slowed down the formulation of environmental regulations, especially for atmospheric emissions. In particular, regulations pertaining to the reduction of sulphur compounds allowed two distinct approaches: the use of low-sulphur fuels or exhaust gas cleaning systems, the so-called Scrubbers. The actual implementation of these solutions presents specific concerns either related to the toxicity of atmospheric by-products and to the fuel cost or to the generation of polluting washwaters that may need treatment before discharge. In this paper we analyzed the potential environmental benefit deriving from the use of a distillate fuel, not compliant with current IMO Sulphur Regulations, together with a Scrubber. The pilot-scale experimental results indicated that a limited amount of water and/or scrubber volume is needed to reduce sulphur emissions below regulations on maritime shipping, especially with the addition of NaOH reaching a water-saving between 25%-33% compared to the use of pure seawater. Experiments indicated that scrubber washwater PAHs emissions are within the available water quality standards indicated by EU and USA guidelines. A bottom-up analysis on heavy metals concentration shed light on the prominent role of metal-parts corrosion on the washwater emissions. Taking into account for corrosion phenomena, the actual heavy metals concentration in the washwater deriving from scrubbing was normally below the water quality standards.

Influence of Aromatic Contents in Low Sulphur Fuel on Particulate Formation and Oxidation Process in Diesel Combustion - Investigation of Soot Estimation Method with Radical Luminous Time Measurement

The IMO sulphur limit for ships' fuel oils has just started since 2020. In order to reduce sulphur concentration, it is predicted that LCO (Light Cycle Oil) fuels will be more commonly used as low sulphur base materials. However, aromatics in LCO fuel affect not only self-ignition but also combustion characteristics, especially soot emission. Therefore, it is important to evaluate combustion characteristics of aromatics in a simplified manner.

Measures to Comply with SOx Emissions Regulations When Using Low Sulphur Fuel Oils for Marine Auxiliary Boilers

Measures to Comply with SOx Emissions Regulations When Using Low Sulphur Fuel Oils for Marine Auxiliary Boilers

K Line’s Approach to “Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil” and “EGCS” to Respond to Global Sulphur Cap 2020

K Line’s Approach to “Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil” and “EGCS” to Respond to Global Sulphur Cap 2020

Important Points to Be Considered When Using Low Sulphur Fuel Oil

Important Points to Be Considered When Using Low Sulphur Fuel Oil

Technique to Produce Low Sulphur Fuel Oil and Its Quality

Technique to Produce Low Sulphur Fuel Oil and Its Quality

Yanmarʼs Approach to 2020 SOx Limit and Points to Be Considered When Using Low Sulphur Fuel Oil

Yanmarʼs Approach to 2020 SOx Limit and Points to Be Considered When Using Low Sulphur Fuel Oil

Evaluation of emission reduction strategies for berthing containerships: A case study of the Shekou Container Terminal

Containerships operating or berthing at ports contributes much to the drastic air pollution in port cities. In the paper, a multi-agent-theory-based simulation model is established and the impact of three different emission reduction strategies, namely, a shore power system, switching to low-sulfur marine fuels, and increasing quay crane efficiency on container ports’ emission reduction and their associated costs are analyzed with a case study of the Shekou Container Terminal in China. The objective is to lay a theoretical foundation for government to optimize its pollution reducing strategies with costs and emission reduction target considered. The results show that the shore power system achieves the highest comprehensive emission reduction effect for only one strategy adopted. A combination of shore power system and increasing quay crane efficiency has the highest emission reduction potential for pair strategies adopted. All three strategies combined acquire the most significant emission reduction and there is no negative correlation among these three strategies. From the perspective of economic benefits, a low-sulfur fuel oil strategy achieves the best performance in carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide reductions. The research also suggests that if government has sufficient fund, usage of shore power system should be given priority; otherwise, a low-sulfur fuel oil measure is suggested.

Ship's response to low-sulfur regulations: From the perspective of route, speed and refueling strategy

Optimizing speed, routing, and refueling strategy are three ways to reduce ship operating costs without modifying on ship. Most past studies have simultaneously optimized one or two variables, resulting in a local optimal solution. To limit sulfur emissions, some governments have established Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in recent years, where ships must use low sulphur fuels. The constraints created by ECAs makes the simultaneous optimization of the three variables even more challenging. This study developed a nonlinear mixed integer programming model to address the challenge of simultaneously optimizing the three variables. After transforming the nonlinear discrete mixed integer programming model into a convex nonlinear continuous programming model, the study proposed a solution algorithm for the proposed model. The new model in this study was applied to the Europe-United States (US) and Southeast Asia service route. The results show that the optimal refueling policy, route, and speed selection can be determined simultaneously using the proposed model and solution method. The study investigated the impact of fuel price on ship refueling strategy, route, and speed; and developed insights from the example analyses.

Life cycle comparison of marine fuels for IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap

Ships, which are the backbone of world trade, are also major emission generators. IMO has prepared a regulation that came into force on January 1, 2020, in particular to reduce ship-related sulphur oxides. Accordingly, the sulphur content of the marine fuels cannot exceed 0.5% by mass. Although these fuels have a significant effect in reducing the sulphur oxides, the holistic environmental effects of the fuels must be examined within a life cycle perspective. In this study, LCA of four different marine fuels were realized and the environmental impacts of the fuels in production, distribution, and operation processes were investigated. The main purpose of this study is to increase precision by focusing on a small number of fuels, while increasing accuracy by obtaining a large number of LCA results. It is concluded that despite the success of low sulphur fuels during operation, the overall environmental effects are higher than other fuels. According to the LCA results, there are no significant differences between the fuels and HFO still remains an important and preferable fuel for the environment. Consequently, in life cycle perspective, it was concluded that the expected results of IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap are not at a desirable level. Thus, alternative fuels would be more beneficial in terms of total environmental issues and IMO should focus more on developing new regulations and policies on alternative fuels.

Optimization of Shore Power Deployment in Green Ports Considering Government Subsidies

Shipping trade and port operations are two of the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The emission of air pollutants brings severe problems to the marine environment and coastal residents’ lives. Shore power technology is an efficient CO2 emission reduction program, but it faces sizeable initial investment and high electricity prices. For shipping companies, energy such as low-sulfur fuels and liquefied natural gas has become an essential supplementary means to meet emission reduction requirements. This research considers the impact of government subsidies on port shore power construction and ship shore power use. It constructs a multi-period dual-objective port shore power deployment optimization model based on minimizing operating costs and minimizing CO2 emissions. Multi-combination subsidy strategies, including unit subsidy rate and subsidy demarcation line, are quantitatively described and measured. The proposed Epsilon constraint method is used to transform and model the dual-objective optimization problem. Numerical experiments verify the effectiveness of the model and the feasibility of the solution method. By carrying out a “cost-environment” Pareto trade-off analysis, a model multi-period change analysis, and a subsidy efficiency analysis, this research compares the decision-making results of port shore power construction, ship berthing shore power use, and ship berthing energy selection. Government subsidy strategy and operation management enlightenment in the optimization of port shore power deployment are discussed.

Preparation and Tribological Properties of Graphene Lubricant Additives for Low-Sulfur Fuel by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma-Assisted Ball Milling

Poor lubrication performance of low-sulfur fuel leads to increased wear of diesel engine components. In order to improve the lubrication properties of low-sulfur fuel, we successfully prepared graphene lubricant additives by dielectric barrier discharge plasma-assisted ball milling. The tribological properties of graphene lubricant additives in two types of 0# diesel oils with different sulfur content were evaluated by high-frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR). The results indicated that the expanded graphite was exfoliated and refined into graphene sheets with nine layers by the synergistic effect of the heat explosive effect of the discharge plasma, the impact of mechanical milling function, and the cavitation effect of 0# diesel oil. The organic functional groups of 0# diesel oil were successfully grafted on the surface of graphene sheets. The addition of 0.03 wt % graphene resulted in 20% reduction in the friction coefficient (COF) and 28% reduction in wear scar diameter (WSD) compared to pure 0# diesel oil with a sulfur content of 310 mg/kg. The addition of 0.03 wt % graphene resulted in 24% reduction in the friction coefficient (COF) and 30% reduction in wear scar diameter (WSD) compared to pure 0# diesel oil with a sulfur content of 1.1 mg/kg. The formation of graphene tribofilm on rubbing surfaces improved the lubrication properties of low-sulfur fuel.

船用低硫燃油的实验研究

船用低硫燃油的实验研究

A Study on Physico-Chemical Properties on Mixed Fuel Oil of Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil-High Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO-HSFO)

A Study on Physico-Chemical Properties on Mixed Fuel Oil of Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil-High Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO-HSFO)

Prospect Theory based Hesitant Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making for Low Sulphur Fuel of Maritime Transportation

Prospect Theory based Hesitant Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making for Low Sulphur Fuel of Maritime Transportation