Bunker and Lubricants News Round up – Issue 08

World News – bunker fuels 

Bunker Market Index – Week 26 

Despite fears of a second wave of COVID-19, fuel markets rebounded last week, showing signs of improving fundamentals as global supplies continue to tighten. 

Read more: Global Maritime Hub  

Pacific Green Retreats From Scrubber Sales as HSFO Discount Remains Narrow

Technology company Pacific Green has decided to scale back its presence in the marine scrubber business, in the latest sign of weakening prospects for the emissions-cleaning technology.  The company is set to close its Norway office and focus its marine business on sales to existing customers. it said in a statement on its website. 

Read more: Ship & Bunker  

Carnival Corporation Reports $2.4 Billion Loss in Second Quarter 

Cruise operator Carnival Corporation has reported a loss of $2.4 billion for the second quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down large parts of its business. The loss compares with a profit of $457 million for the same period of 2019, the company said in an earnings release this week. 

Read more: Ship & Bunker

World News – marine lubricants 

Keeping engines running amid 2020 fuel challenges  

Early reports on the variable quality of very low-sulphur fuel oils confirm research highlighting the need for robust cylinder lubrication when using the new fuel blends. 

Looking back on the first three month since the implementation of IMO’s global sulphur cap, it seems that concerns over the variability of new very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) blends were justified. 

Read more: Motorship

Climate Change/Future Fuels

European consortium bids to fast track commercial pathway to climate neutral methanol

A consortium of European maritime research and technology firms have launched the FASTWATER project to demonstrate the feasibility of retrofit and newbuild vessels to operate on methanol as a pathway to fossil-free shipping. With funding from the European Commission, FASTWATER will focus on high impact outcomes, designing solutions for existing ships and designs for newbuildings, demonstrating methanol as a future-proof marine fuel to create a fast track to carbon neutral shipping.  

Read more: Splash 247 

Maersk heads zero-carbon drive in shipping sector with $60 million research center

The world’s largest container shipper, A.P. Moller-Maersk MAERSKB.CO, will team up with industry majors to set up a research center in Denmark with the aim of reducing carbon emissions in the shipping industry. 

Denmark’s Maersk, which aims to be carbon-neutral by 2050, said on Thursday the research center would combine knowledge from industry, academia and regulators towards “decarbonizing” the industry by developing carbon-neutral fuel and technologies.  

Read more: Reuters
 

Industry coalition founds Copenhagen decarbonisation research centre  

A group of leading industry participants have launched a new research centre in Copenhagen to further the development of new fuel types and technologies. The founding company partners behind the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping are ABS, A.P. Moller – Maersk, Cargill, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and NYK Lines and Siemens. 

Read more: Motorship 

Digitalization  

Maersk Tankers digital spin-off launches bunker consumption software

The digital company, announced at the start of the year and now branded as ZeroNorth, has rolled out its Optimise software (formerly called SimBunker) to owners and operators to facilitate CO2 emission reductions and optimise vessel earnings. 

Read more: Bunkerspot
 

Singapore launches ‘Playbook’ to accelerate maritime’s digital transformation 

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have launched a Maritime Digitalisation Playbook (MDP) to help maritime companies accelerate their digital transformation efforts.  

Read more: Seatrade Maritime  

COVID-19  

BIMCO publishes COVID-19 crew change clause  

BIMCO has produced a COVID-19 Crew Change Clause for Time Charter Parties in response to the extraordinary circumstances faced by many owners whose crew have had to remain on board during the COVID-19 “lockdown” for periods often extending beyond their contracts of employment.  

Read more: Bimco  

Oil tanker quarantined in Antwerp after COVID-19 outbreak 

The Belgian port of Antwerp has quarantined a Maltese-flagged oil tanker until at least July 4 after more than half of its crew tested positive for COVID-19, the port authority said on Thursday.  

Read more: Reuters  

Maritime 

Free Report
Welfare 2.0: How can the next generation of technology enable better crew safety, health and wellbeing at sea? 

This 30-page report, published in partnership with Inmarsat explores the role technology can play in improving the welfare of the 1.6 million men and women who work at sea. 

Download: Thetius  

Free Event
Marine Lubrication: improving procurement through to performance

The days of one contract manager in a corner office quietly handling a shipping company’s entire fuels and lubes requirements are numbered. Digitalisation means greater transparency and efficiency is available from procurement through to performance. 

Register now: Rivieramm 

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