Marine: Low sulfur fuel handling for ships

摘要

Desulfurization has reduced the lubricating properties of fuel, often leading to pump failure. Here, Philip Sulzer, technical manager KRAL GmbH, explains how the surface hardness of its screw pump components was increased to handle the low sulfur fuels now used in today's shipping. When the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) new regulations for sulfur content of marine fuels came into effect on 1 January 2020 (also known as IMO 2020), industry experts expected to see a significant change for the shipping industry. The entire marine fuel supply chain, from refining, through distribution, bunkering, handling and storage on board the ship, through to final use in marine diesel engines or in boilers for propulsion, is now affected.