vessels are designed with cofferdams and insulations between the cargo hold bulkhead and the engine room. Therefore, vessels without this design should plan their stowage of valuable yet vulnerable cargo with this consideration in mind and/ or prioritize the loading of non- agricultural products in this after-hold.
Some post-incident investigations also revealed that crew members did not maintain any temperature records of the cargo holds and fuel oil tank heating. This could prove counter-productive in defending claims against the vessel’s owners. Very often, recipients at discharge ports may reject the whole parcel of the cargo when they find alleged heat-damaged cargo has been mixed with sound cargo. This can result in substantial claims of up to several hundred thousand dollars and some ports may even refuse to discharge these unsound cargoes in the discharge port. Subsequently, the vessel may have to proceed to another nearby port to dispose of the cargo as their last option, which may result in additional cost and delays.
Preventative measures
It is important for the master, or their representatives, to inspect the cargo condition at load port and the following recommendations may provide some assistance to the master in planning and transportation of these types of cargoes:
- Vessels should consult the provisions scheduled by the IMSBC Code for stowage precautions, especially for temperature-sensitive cargo during the planning stages.
- High-value yet temperature- sensitive cargoes should be loaded away from the fuel oil tanks and/or uninsulated engine room bulkhead. It is preferred to load these cargoes adjacent to non-essential fuel oil tanks as heat from fuel tanks may trigger rapid deterioration even if the cargo would be otherwise suitable for carriage.
- When planning fuel storage management for a voyage, the master and chief officer should liaise with the chief engineer about the nature and type of cargo prior to loading and discuss fuel oil management for the voyage.
- Prioritise fuel consumption for fuel oil tanks that are not adjacent to the cargo hold with heat-sensitive cargo.
- Consider using lower viscosity fuel oil when carrying
temperature-sensitive cargoes as low viscosity oil requires lower temperature heating.
Conclusion
By and large, bunker management is often neglected and may not always be included in cargo stowage and stability planning processes, especially prioritizing the usage of fuel tank sequences. This is particularly important for heat- sensitive agriculture products. In short, management on board the vessel should plan cargo stowage concurrently with fuel management and conduct proactive discussions to better understand the characteristics of the cargo to be loaded. Finally, the goal is to achieve a claims-free outturn at discharging ports.
- Carry out fuel heating gradually by increasing the steam capacity in the steaming coil, limiting the rise in temperature to a minimum extent, until it is sufficiently heated but not unnecessary (ideally tanks should not be heated more than 40°C).
- Remember that the heating lines exposed above the surface of the fuel in the storage tank may transfer heat to tank top plates even faster than if they were submerged. To minimize the heat transfer, leave a sufficient amount of slack fuel in the tank.
- Ensure effective working conditions for the heating coils in the fuel tanks and shut-off valves, steam traps and temperature sensors in the bunker tanks as per the vessel’s Planned Maintenance System (PMS).
- Update the PMS maintenance records thoroughly as these may serve as valuable evidence in the future.
- Ensure the steam supply valves are shut when emptying fuel oil tanks.
- Retain temperature records of heating fuel oil tanks carried out throughout the voyage.
- If accessible, carry out temperature monitoring inside the cargo holds and ventilate as practiced by relevant temperature rules.
- Be aware of surplus steam from the Exhaust Gas Economiser (EGE) being recirculated to the fuel oil tanks.
86 | ISSUE 110 | DEC 2024 | THE REPORT
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