In the quiet corners of shipping terminals in Singapore and Houston, a perturbing issue awaits resolution. The Maritime and Port Authority have their hands full as they meticulously examine a report revolving around polluted Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO), supposedly dispensed not only at the Houston ports but also in Singapore.
No marine vessels have yet been scathed following the fuel’s delivery. This assurance comes straight from a spokesperson of the renowned shipping news portal, Ship & Bunker. The port authority’s ongoing investigation offers a glimmer of hope yet amidst a milieu filled with uncertainty and ambiguity.
The Domino Effect of Contaminated Fuel
Factual data from VPS, a reputable testing firm clarifies the scenario further. The firm confirms the discovery of 14 seafaring vessels, recipients of the tainted VLSFO. The pollutant identified was none other than the industrial chemical, dicyclopentadiene. Subsequent revelations point toward American shores where 12 of these vessels had received their supplies. Meanwhile, just two others were flagged down in the port city of Singapore.
Beyond this, VPS’s revelations continue to pile up. The firm testifies that as many as 17 suppliers landed with the tainted fuel. Additionally, 32 marine vessels became unwitting recipients of a whopping 61,494 metric tonnes of the said deliveries.
Did All Ships Suffer The Same Fate?
In a surprising twist of events, 18 of the vessels receiving the suspect fuel reported no damage whatsoever. In fact, some even managed to de-bunker the fuel prior to combustion or provided no feedback on the fuel’s impact. This shred of positive news provides a silver lining in an otherwise grim situation.
A Plea for Transparency
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority are leaving no stone unturned. They’ve sought intel from VPS about the duo of vessels reported to have been fueled with the contaminated VLSFO in Singapore. The focus is on securing the results of the fuel tests conducted on these vessels. Confirming this, the representative from MPA stated, “MPA is investigating the matter.”
As of now, the Maritime and Port Authority is yet to receive reports of engine-related complications owing to the corrupted fuel as claimed by other reports. “To date,” says the spokesperson, “MPA has not received reports of vessels experiencing engine-related problems due to contaminated fuel supplied in Singapore, such as the presence of dicyclopentadiene, in 2023.”
This incident underscores the imperatives of stringent testing and vigilant fuel supply networks to avoid potentially catastrophic engine damage in the future. The world watches, hoping this is but a muted storm in the vast ocean of global marine trade.
