Alfa Laval rolls out first biofuel-ready separators

Alfa Laval has introduced the marine industry’s first biofuel-ready separators, which can tackle potential operational challenges associated with the use of the fuel in shipping.

Biofuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) can be used by diesel engines without major engine modifications. However, Alfa Laval warned that they must still be cleaned effectively to prevent performance issues and expensive engine wear.

As a result, the Swedish marine equipment manufacturer has made its high-speed separators compatible with HVO (EN15940) and with FAME (EN14214 or ASTM D6751) blends comprising residual fuel and/or distillate.

Alfa Laval said it has modified both the internal bowl components and the separator software to ensure optimal biofuel separation. “This makes setting up for HVO, FAME blends or conventional fuels a simple parameter change,” the company noted, adding that these developments are also available as upgrades for existing separators.