1. Why Total Fuel Management?
2. What is needed for Total Fuel Management (TFM)?
3. What are the Operational Procedures?
4. Managing Today's Fuel - What Is Called For?
- Bunker fuel is not a commodity.
- It should not be purchased at the market place like buying a box of cigarettes or matchbox.
- It is not like gasoline we fill up since it contains residual fuel.
- No one knows precisely what residual fuels contain.
- The risk of damage to engine, reduction in speed, safety, environmental hazards are present.
- Bunker fuel quality deteriorating progressively since more refineries adopt thermal/catalytic cracking.
- ISO 8217 bunker fuel specification is too vague and too imprecise.
- Current methods of bunker purchase adopt 8317, which sets minimum standards at so-called "minimum price".
- TFM will purchase fuel with maximum standards at minimum cost.
- Trans-tech, Shell, BP all are moving towards TFM.
- Experience not only in purchase of bunkers but in all marine machinery which use fuels and knowledge of bunker fuel analysis
- A dedicated lab which can carry out not only ISO 8217 specified tests, but other tests to determine true worth of fuel.
- Detailed information about engine condition, ship speed, fuel consumption, information gathered during overhaul, etc.
- All sources of bunker supplies including Internet, physical suppliers, offers through brokers, major oil companies, etc.
- Dedicated, experienced staff that will study the pedigree of the fuel, the true worth of the fuel, the best sources and prices for fuel and the behavior of the fuel during use and the effect of fuel on engine performance and engine condition.
- Define trade routes.
- Based on engine type and make, identify ideal specifications of fuel.
- Optimum bunker fuel quantity carried onboard.
- Pulse on bunker market for availability, quality and price.
- Contacts with physical suppliers and other players.
- Credit terms, bank details, etc.
- Monitoring fuel quality and engine performance and providing technical advice.
- Investigation related to damage to machinery.
- Continuous communication with all the parties.
- Work out the true worth of fuel.
- Training and education of ship staff to handle fuels.
- Watching fuel quality and price trends on global basis.
- Verifying supply and payments.
- Deep knowledge of marine diesel engines.
- Detailed knowledge of marine bunker fuels.
- Contaminants and adulterants in bunker fuel
- Knowledge of latest instruments in this field.
- Detailed knowledge of fuel treatment plants onboard ships.
- Expertise in purchase of bunker fuel.
- Expertise in analytical work, relative to petroleum products.
- Expertise in identifying fuel-related damage to ship's machinery and plant.
