The quality of marine fuels and the safety of navigation: case studies

The quality of marine fuels is standardised by the international standard ISO 8217. As practice shows, even fuels that meet all standard requirements do not completely guarantee avoiding disruptions in smooth and safe operation of the ship. The future is likely to bring more cases of improper operation of vessels, sometimes leading to main propulsion failures. One cause behind main engine breakdowns is the introduction of new products on the fuel market that are intended to meet the ever-increasing requirements of environmental protection (e.g. low sulphur content). As a result, some fuels are chemically different from the previously used residual fuels. Using them in the engine room requires special care on the part of the ship owner and the ship’s crew. The article analyses two cases in which the use of conventional residual fuels resulted in main engine stoppage. The authors, bearing in mind the causes of those failures, focus on technical consequences of using marine fuels produced by currently employed technologies.