Wilhelmsen and Hitachi High-Tech partnership delivers convenient IMO 2020 compliance

Signing a supply agreement with Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science (Hitachi High-Tech), Wilhelmsen will supply Hitachi High-Tech’s industry-leading handheld XRF analysers to the maritime market, enabling vessel crews to accurately and efficiently test the sulphur content of their fuel, on the spot.

With the International Maritime Organisation’s 0.50% global sulphur cap on marine fuels set to come into force on 1 January 2020 and discussions on enforcement strategies and potential penalties for non-compliance gathering pace, the ability to perform lab-quality testing in seconds, will soon become an operational necessity for crews, and authorities, alike.

Hitachi High-Tech’s XRF spectrometers are seen as the petroleum industry’s established benchmark for upstream and downstream quality control, requiring little sample prep, minimal training and providing almost instantaneous, verifiable results. Jonas Ostlund, Product Marketing Manager, Oil and Water, Marine Products Wilhelmsen Ships Service says, “Partnering with Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science, one of the leading fuel testing specialist, enables us to provide our customers, what we believe will, become an absolutely essential tool ahead of IMO 2020.

Crews will be able to eliminate the risk of accidental non-compliance. As vessels approach Emission Control Areas (ECAs), with a lower 0.1%, permissible sulphur content limit, the engine room can immediately and accurately test the Sulphur content of the fuel flowing to the engines after changeover and ensure it is compliant”.

In addition to mitigating the risks of non-compliance during changeovers, fast, reliable, on-board testing equipment lessens the reliance on the traditional Bunker Delivery Note, empowering crews to check the sulphur content of fuel during bunkering, rather than potentially having to deal with potential fuel specification issues after the fact.

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