The key role of fuel additives in enhancing engine efficiency and reducing emissions

As the global distributor for premium fuel additives developed and manufactured by Infineum, World Fuel is deeply involved in monitoring and supporting the current transition taking place in the shipping world. Additives have been proven to be an effective tool to help reduce emissions, maintain engine performance, and minimize fuel costs. For these reasons, they can and are playing an essential role in meeting current industry demands.  

The World Fuel white paper provides a unique investigation and detailed insights into the use of additives, and the benefits they offer as the marine industry transitions to lower carbon, alternative fuels. The paper rightly points out that this transition will not happen overnight. In fact, there could be a 10 to 15-year window while engine and fuel supply technologies are developed and refined and while cleaner alternative fuels, such as ammonia, methanol, and hydrogen, become widely available. In the meantime, heavy fuel oils will continue to power vessels.

In this video, World Fuel’s David Spellman and Infineum’s Adrian Bourdeaux highlight the advantages of marine fuel additives:

Cost and efficiency benefits

As ship owners and operators are keenly aware, fuel can represent as much as 60 percent of operating costs, meaning that fuel efficiency can make a huge difference to bottom-line results. By utilizing additives to enhance the quality and performance of fuel, fleet operators can gain both financial and environmental advantages.

Mark Tamsitt, Senior Vice President, Marine EMEA & Asia, World Fuel, explains: “As the marine industry transforms its fuel strategies, the use of additives plays a crucial role in its energy journey. Our partnership with Infineum demonstrates that we are committed to developing solutions for fleet operators to help them meet sustainability requirements while also providing them with major financial savings.”

Evidence of combustion improvements

The benefits of the Infineum additives can be exemplified by case studies detailed in the white paper. In the first, Infineum ran a test program to assess the effectiveness of combustion improver additives using a static Caterpillar MaK 6M20 four-stroke test engine at various loads and speeds operating with HSFO and VLSFO.

The tests measured Specific Fuel Oil Consumption (SFOC) and monitored a broad range of emissions. These tests led to the development of Infineum B402, an innovative combustion improver that effectively reduces both SFOC and emissions on engines running on VLSFO or HSFO.

In the next testing phase, the additive benefits were confirmed in sea trials on a chemical tanker operating with a MAN B&W 4S50ME-T9.7 two-stroke static engine at differing loads. The additive test demonstrated improvements in NOx emissions, which were reduced by 4 percent. Other improvements included less build-up of hard deposits in the injector nozzle openings and very good overall engine cleanliness.

Tests were also conducted comparing engine results with and without Infineum B402 additized fuel onboard a tanker. Throughout the trial period, data was collected with and without the additive at normal operating conditions, and the results revealed an SFOC improvement of 0.46 percent. Similarly, comparing the average overall NOx and CO values, results indicated a reduction of around 1.7 and 10.3 percent respectively.

Tests were also performed to study the effect of Infineum B201 on fuel stability and compatibility, both of which are critical operational issues. Although Infineum reported that Infineum B201 exceeded performance requirements in laboratory tests, the company wanted to demonstrate field-proven performance through actual field trials.

The tests showed that the additive ensures the stability and compatibility of VLSFO fuel blends. This was an important verification, since blended VLSFO can result in fuel instability and high sedimentation in tanks, leading to possible sludge accumulation in the fuel system and potential engine damage.

Commenting on these test results, Adrian Bourdeaux, Marine Fuels Team Leader at Infineum, said: “The rigorous test program has demonstrated the ability of combustion improving additives to reduce emissions and save fuel in marine engines running on either very low or high sulfur fuel oils. We strongly recommend that vessel owners and operators act now to incorporate these additives into their fuel strategies.”