GREEK SECTION
“Experience with boiler operation on ULSDO/MGO (DMX/DMA) 0.1%S one year after enforcement of EU fuel oil directive”
by Petros Lalangas
On June 9, 2011 the ninth and final monthly technical meeting of the Greek Section for the 2010-2011 season took place in the Athens hospitable facilities of Maran Tankers, in front of about 50 persons.
At the meeting Mr. Axel Friese, Senior Project Manager of SAACKE of Germany presented the title topic.
The author pointed out that with subject EU regulation being more and more strictly enforced, boiler operation on ULSDO/MGO 0.1%S has by now become an established procedure on most vessels that are visiting EU ports on a regular basis.
The different properties of ULSDO compared to the heavy fuel oil have a significant impact on several system components as well as on the overall performance of the boiler systems. To compensate for this impact, several technical solutions have been and are suggested by boiler/burner makers and classification societies.
However due to lack of practical experience from actually operating boilers on ULSDO fuels, these suggestions have been primarily based on assumptions.
Now more than one year has passed since the EU fuel oil directive has come into force on 01.01.2010 and practical experience has been gathered and evaluated from operation of various types of boiler/burner systems that have technically not been modified at all, partially upgraded or fitted with a comprehensive fuel system and controls upgrade.
From this experience, some of the initial, theoretical concerns can be deducted being of minor significance while other issues have been confirmed to be of high importance.
An overview of these issues were presented together with general technical suggestions on how they can be effectively corrected.
Special attention was given on the difference between technically operating the boiler systems on ULSDO 0.1%S and compliantly operating the boiler systems on ULSDO 0.1%S. Costly consequences being a matter of time if only the former is focused on by operators and managers.
The meeting was concluded with a nice reception in the Maran Tankers reception hall and wished each other a HAPPY SUMMER and to the many students who attended the meeting good luck in their exams.
From Left to Right: P. Malapetsas of Oceandynamic, agents of SAACKE; N. Dionissopoulos, Subst. EC member,
P. Lalangas, chair; Author; K. Maounis, Secretary / Treasurer.
The presentation Can be found below:
MGO Experience.pdf
.