Barendrecht, the Netherlands: In a timely response to the recent IMO conclusions on marine fuel regulations, DNV Petroleum Services (DNVPS) today officially opened a new bunker testing facility in the Netherlands, effectively expanding the company’s capacity to meet the foreseeable increased demand for fuel analytical services in Europe. This laboratory serves a critical quality screening function for deliveries out of the important Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam bunkering hub.

Located in the new DNV Benelux building in Barendrecht, the DNVPS laboratory and other DNV business units in the same building were jointly declared open by Eva Bugge, Norway’s Ambassador to the Netherlands; Jan van Belzen, Mayor of Barendrecht; Tor Svensen, Chief Operating Officer of DNV Maritime; and Johan den Biggelaar, Country Chair of DNV Benelux.

Mr Tor Svensen said: “The DNVPS fuel testing facility in Barendrecht has a finger on the pulse of bunker quality coming out of Europe’s major supply centres. As marine fuel volumes continue to grow here and more ship operators routinely analyse their bunker purchases to determine regulatory compliance, we will have the capacity to cope with the increased testing demand without sacrificing efficiency and prompt turnaround time.”

The 1,200 sq m laboratory will particularly monitor the quality of low sulphur bunkers from European ports meant for use in the Baltic Sea and North Sea emission control areas (ECA). Unregulated cutter stocks, frequently used as blend components for low sulphur fuel products, are associated with poor ignition and combustion, excessive abrasive fines, compatibility problems and even chemical contamination. By keeping a close watch over the origin and quality of these products, DNVPS alerts ship operators to potential fuel quality issues detected in specific areas, DNVPS managing director Tore Morten Wetterhus explained.

“Along with four other DNVPS facilities located in Houston, Fujairah, Oslo and Singapore, our Barendrecht laboratory contributes to a highly responsive monitoring network that helps ship operators pre-empt problematic deliveries globally,” he said, adding that this fuel quality surveillance network is a key DNVPS value proposition, and also one that will assume greater importance as MARPOL Annex VI fuel regulations gear towards tighter limits.

“Irrespective of ECA or global regulations, the IMO conclusions point to a much stricter marine fuel quality regime in the future, creating urgency for ship operators to invest more on compliance and environmental-friendly practices. In this regard, DNVPS has the competencies to lead the development of innovative fuel management products and services for the shipping industry,” Mr Wetterhus said.

Other than laboratory-based testing services, DNVPS provides consulting and training solutions to ship operators, delivering measurable improvements to risk management, cost and operational efficiency, as well as environmental performance. These services are part of the company’s Total Fuel Management solutions, Mr Wetterhus said.

More about DNVPS Barendrecht laboratory
According to Ferry van Eykel, regional manager of DNVPS Benelux region, the Barendrecht laboratory boasts
the following environmental-friendly features:

• Variable air-volume system for optimum energy consumption and minimizes ‘sick building syndrome’ by
  controlling air-flow, temperature and humidity
• Heat recovery systems (twin-coil units) reduce energy consumption by recovering the "surplus" heat
• Cooling by means of chilled water with temperature of 10 degrees C instead of 6 degrees C, to further
  reduce energy consumption
• Heat generation by means of high efficiency boilers
• Automatic disposal system of laboratory waste materials, contributing to a safer work environment
• Separate draining systems for lot, roof, sanitary and process water to prevent contamination
• Process water goes through oil/water separator, so maximum reducing the risk of contamination towards
  the local sewage system
• Sound producing laboratory components are placed in ‘sound masking’ compartments
• Flooring in laboratory consists of ‘liquid stop’ anti-slip tiles and chemical-resistant joints to eliminate soil
  contamination

More about DNV Petroleum Services
DNV Petroleum Services, a fully-owned subsidiary of Det Norske Veritas, is a leading marine fuel management company with a major market share in marine fuel testing services.

The company’s products and services are tailored to the individual ship operator’s needs and requirements. They include:

• Total Fuel Management Solutions – holistic marine fuel management consulting and training services
• Project-based marine fuel quality investigations
• Consulting services for fuel treatment plant design
  - Fuel System Check
  - Lube Oil Analysis
  - Bunker Quality Statistics
  - FuelWise, an online bunker procurement and quality monitoring service
  - Customised fuel sampling equipment
  - Blend Optimisation Programme
  - Bunker Quality Testing
  - Global fuel quality catchments
  - Members receive timely alerts on bunker quality anomalies detected worldwide
  - Experience base of over 1 million tested fuel samples
  - Online retrieval of fuel quality results for convenient access
  - Bunker Quantity Surveys
  - Over 45,000 surveys conducted in ports around the world
  - Qualified surveyors operating in accordance with stringent in-house procedures
  - Supported by regular on-site inspections by senior quality controllers to maintain high standards of service