ISO publishes new marine fuel specification

Market: Biofuels, Oil products
30/05/24

The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) published its new marine fuel specification standard today.

The 7th edition of the specification standard, ISO 8217:2024, will replace its predecessor, ISO 8217:2017, which has now been withdrawn.

The document encompasses seven categories for distillate fuels, four categories for residual fuels at or below 0.5pc sulphur content, five categories for residual fuels blended with fatty acid methyl ester (Fame) biodiesel and five categories for residual fuels above 0.5pc sulphur.

Some of the changes had previously been discussed and are confirmed. These include the removal of the previous 7pc Fame limit when blended with distillate marine fuels. This is now possible up to 100pc.

The distinction between winter and summer quality for cloud point and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) has also been removed. And there is now a requirement to report the net heat of combustion for a distillate fuel grade as well as the requirement for a minimum cetane number and oxidation stability.

By Hussein Al-Khalisy

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