Low Sulphur Fuel Oil
Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (LSFO) is increasingly being used in shipping due to emission regulations within shipping. Emission Control Areas have been introduced by the International Maritime Organisation meaning ships which travel within such areas must reduce their emissions.
One way to make this possible is for ships engines to use LSFO. LSFO has a very low viscosity typically close to 1cp but not only does it have a low viscosity, but its lubricity is also very poor meaning pump internals must be specified correctly otherwise rapid wear damages internal parts. If the pump internal parts wear excessively it leads to poor pumping ability which leads to the engines being starved of fuel risking control of the entire vessel. We have written about the impact of low sulphur oil on pumps in this guide.
