Fuel quality

Condition monitoring specialist CM Technologies has warned that the recent spike in fuel quality problems at major bunkering hubs is creating fresh operational risks for shipowners and underlines the need for more rigorous real-time monitoring on board vessels. Reports have indicated that very low-sulphur fuel oil supplied in Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA), Skagen and Piraeus contained higher than expected levels of catalytic fines, sediment and/or viscosity. It was reported in January 2025 that more than 45 per cent of the global VLSFO supply did not meet the RM380 grade ISO standards introduced in 2024.