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Quadrise Fuels International plc (QFI), the emerging supplier of MSAR emulsion technology and fuel, confirmed on Wednesday the receipt of an interim letter of no objection (LONO) by Wartsila following the use of its engine during trials with MSAR.

According to QFI, the interim LONO confirms that MSAR emulsion fuel has "satisfactorily completed" 1,370 hours of a 4,000 hours validation test on board the Maersk vessel Seago Istanbul equipped with a Wartsila 12RT-flex96C-B engine, including a maximum duration of 139 hours in continuous operation.

Additionally, Wartsila is said to have confirmed that it saw "no detrimental effect on the RT-flex96C-B engines" with the use of MSAR fuel during the test based on the results of engine inspections and cylinder condition monitoring.

However, due to the number of test hours being below the full requirement of 4,000 hours (after Maersk decided to pull out of the trials and discount the use of exhaust gas scrubbers as an option going forward), together with the current maximum continuous hours of operation on MSAR, Wartsila observed that there remain points that would be assessed further in the next stage of testing as part of the normal process for issuing a full LONO.

In a statement, QFI said: "The outcome is just as we expected - MSAR fuel is safe to use in these diesel engines. It was always anticipated that continued operation to achieve the full 4,000 hours LONO validation, post the interim inspection, would be confirmatory in nature. With the trial having ended early, for reasons unrelated to the use of MSAR fuel, the Wartsila Interim LONO reflects the positive results and the exemplary work of the Quadrise team to date."

QFI added: "We will be using this positive endorsement to enhance our business development activities in the marine market."

Mike Kirk, executive chairman, remarked: "We are pleased that Wartsila has confirmed its satisfaction in recent MSAR testing and inspection, and the interim LONO states that no detrimental effects have been shown from MSAR fuel in the Wartsila engine."

QFI also reiterated its belief that the marine industry will adopt the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems and high-sulphur heavy fuel as the most economic compliance option for the upcoming 0.5 percent global sulphur cap in 2020.

MSAR fuel has so far been supplied with a sulphur content higher than 0.5 percent (thus, it would need to be used together with a scrubber in 2020), but QFI has previously not discounted the prospect of working with refiners or suppliers to produce a MSAR fuel with a sulphur content lower than the 0.5 percent limit.