BERLIN: Total Marine Fuels has launched a new marine gasoil product in Germany ahead of a new sulfur limit taking effect January 1, total official said.
The new grade of MGO has a maximum density of 890 kg/cubic meter and a maximum sulfur limit of 0.1%, which will comply with the International Maritime Organization’s 0.1% sulfur limit taking effect in Emissions Control Areas next year.
Total will continue to offer an existing MGO grade of maximum density 860 kg/cu m and maximum sulfur limits of 0.1%, alongside the new MGO grade, from its Brunsbuttel facility inside the Kiel-Canal, it said.
The fuel can be delivered ex-pipe from a minimum of 15 mt to a few hundred tons, Total said.
Later, Total plans to offer a “low sulfur heavy fuel which is suitable for ships equipped with scrubbers.”
Thorsten Hesse, Total’s manager of sales and supply, said the quality of the low sulfur heavy fuel would be available for 180 and 380 CST grades with a sulfur content of about 1.3%, which is an essential consideration in the optimization of scrubber design.
All the products of ISO 8217:2010 specifications can be supplied by barges in the ports of Hamburg, Stade, Brunsbuttel and Kiel, Total said.
For vessels using high sulfur fuel with abatement technology or navigating outside the ECA regions, high sulfur grades will continue to be available, it said.
Scrubber systems are air pollution control devices that can remove some particulates or gases.
Scrubbers are installed on ships’ engines to remove sulfur from bunker fuel.
Scrubber technology is one option for shipowners facing increasingly stringent environmental regulation.
