Content discrepancies in 39% of bunkers worldwide: Fuel Trust

The inadvertent introduction of water into bunker fuels during the transit to ships' tanks from onshore storage was a key reason 39% of global bunkers tested over 2021-22 displayed a significant fuel content discrepancy of 2% or higher, compared to the quantities in delivery paperwork, FuelTrust said.

"Typically, this issue led to an increase from 0.1% to above 0.25% water content, which, while remaining below the regulated threshold, resulted in average losses of $14,910 per affected delivery" said FuelTrust, a maritime technology company.

Water accounted for 33% of issues found, with volume and content at 37%, while the grade (11%) and contaminants (7%) were also factors, it said.

"In the past year, over 600 vessels were disabled through fuel problems, despite the fuel being 'on-spec', resulting in estimated global supply chain losses exceeding $5 billion. Both fuel suppliers and shipowners incurred financial losses, which are difficult to detect and make claims against," FuelTrust said.

In a recent incident of fuel contamination in Houston, 11 ships experienced propulsion failure, while over 100 other vessels were impacted, highlighting the severity of the problem and potential ramifications for the maritime industry.