The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) wide-ranging ambition to reduce emissions from vessel operations continues to transform the marine industry. Much of the recent focus has been on greenhouse gases (GHG) but the IMO is also making strides towards the reduction of sulphur.

For example, in the past ten years alone we’ve seen the Emission Control Area (ECA) sulphur limit reduce from 1.0% to 0.10%. We’re also seeing the introduction of new ECAs, including the Mediterranean Sea, which comes into force 1 May 2025. More ECAs are planned.

The effective implementation of these new ECAs will be reliant on the availability of 0.1% sulphur fuels, but not all ECA fuels are the same. ECA compliance is essential, but so is reliable vessel operations.

That’s why, 10 years ago, we developed ExxonMobil Premium HDME 50™ fuel, which was specifically formulated to simplify fuel switching when entering and leaving an ECA, and minimise operational issues. The fuel has been a success and you don’t need to take our word for it. ExxonMobil Marine has been talking to customers about the fuel to mark a decade of bunkering.

Hans Staal, Director, Fuel Supply at Unifeeder, a logistics specialist operating more than 150 vessels covering Europe, Africa and Asia, explained why his company chose the 0.10% sulphur fuel.

“Unifeeder began using HDME 50™ fuel in Q4 2014, coinciding with the introduction of the ECA in the Baltic Sea and North Sea,” said Hans. “We selected the fuel to comply with the ECA’s 0.10% sulphur limit. It was also compatible with our existing vessel engines and, equally important, readily available at Unifeeder’s key bunkering ports.”

However, it’s not just about ECA compliance. “Crews have consistently reported reduced sludge buildup and improved engine performance with HDME 50™ fuel, compared with other fuel oils,” continued Hans. “We’ve not experienced any vessel downtime or engine stoppages related to the use of HDME 50™ fuel over the past 10 years.”

Hans says Unifeeder will bunker ExxonMobil Premium HDME 50™ fuel for operations in the new Mediterranean Sea ECA because it offers ECA compliance and operational benefits at a viable price. “ExxonMobil introduced a competitively priced fuel oil, compared with MGO, that we could switch to without requiring any engine modifications,” he explained.

ExxonMobil has more than 50 years of heritage in supplying high-quality fuels, lubricants and technical expertise to support regulatory compliance in the marine industry.

To discover how ExxonMobil Premium HDME 50™ fuel can support your vessels operating in ECAs, click here.

ExxonMobil makes no representation that your experience will be similar or identical to that of the customer in this testimonial. Actual results will vary depending on factors such as equipment used, its maintenance, operating conditions and fuel previously used.

Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso and Mobil. For convenience and simplicity in this article, those terms and terms like corporation, company, our, we and its are sometimes used as abbreviated references to specific affiliates or affiliate groups. Abbreviated references describing global or regional operational organisations and global or regional business lines are also sometimes used for convenience and simplicity. Nothing contained herein is intended to override the corporate separateness of affiliated companies.