Wilhelmsen to supply Hitachi High-Tech’s handheld fuel analysers

Shipowner interest in mobile fuel quality testing is set to increase ahead of the introduction of the IMO’s 0.50% global sulphur cap in 2020, as discussions on enforcement strategies and potential penalties for non-compliance gather pace. Mobile equipment, such as the X-MET8000, is also likely to become the favoured means of testing compliance to the new regulations for PSC officers to use to quickly pass or fail vessels’ fuel.

Hitachi High-Tech’s XRF spectrometers are the petroleum industry’s established benchmark for upstream and downstream quality control, requiring little sample prep, minimal training and providing almost instantaneous, verifiable results. The X-MET8000 handheld XRF analyser complies with ASTM D4294, ISO8754, and IP336 sulphur test methods.

Jonas Östlund, Product Marketing Manager, Oil and Water, Marine Products Wilhelmsen Ships Service says, “This partnership enables us to provide our customers with what we believe will become an absolutely essential tool ahead of IMO 2020. Crews will be able to eliminate the risk of accidental noncompliance. As vessels approach Emission Control Areas (ECAs), with a lower 0.1%, permissible sulphur content limit, the engine room can immediately and accurately test the sulphur content of the fuel flowing to the engines after changeover and ensure it is compliant”.

The X-MET8000 handheld XRF analyser is fitted with an embedded GPS to pinpoint exactly where analysis is performed, while Hitachi High-Tech’s cloud service and data-sharing permits data analysis. Customers will also benefit from in-house service and remote diagnostic services for support.