Alcap separation system0 pages

Reducing fuel costs by converting to HFO
Case story
Alcap separation system
To stay competitive, the KW 145 Catharina uses low-sulphur HFO 380 cSt to sail the North Sea, thanks to
the compact Alfa Laval SA 815 separation system.
For generations, the van der Plas family fishing business
relied on marine gas oil to power its trawlers around the
North Sea. Today the family’s new trawler runs on costefficient heavy fuel oil (HFO) 380 cSt. Upgrading an Alfa
Laval purifier originally installed onboard to an Alfa Laval
SA 815 separator system drastically reduced fuel costs.
When the Dutch fishing trawler KW 145 Catharina set sail on
the North Sea in 2006, it signaled more than a generational
shift for the van der Plas family. Shipowner Nico van der Plas
Sr. and third-generation fisherman Captain Nico van der Plas
Jr. carefully considered the impact of rising fuel costs on the
viability of their single-vessel family company.
In an effort to offset fuel price increments and maintain
earnings, the elder and younger van der Plas agreed in 2005
to install an HFO-ready engine and two Alfa Laval purifiers
on their new 40-meter fishing trawler. After two years of
running the vessel on HFO 180 cSt, they decided to
upgrade one purifier to an Alfa Laval SA 815 separator.
The fuel cost savings alone quickly paid for the upgrade and
will continue to contribute to the profitability of van der Plas
fishing enterprise.
Fast payback
Comparable fishing trawlers typically use marine gas oil
as fuel. However, the Catharina is a relatively new vessel
out­itted with a Wärtsila 26 medium-speed engine. Larger or
f
new medium-speed engines such as the Wärtsila engine are
now designed to handle heavy fuel oil. On the other hand,
heavy fuel oil must undergo the process of cleaning and
fuel oil to be of the correct viscosity before being injected
into the engine.
Catharina is designed to use heavy fuel oil with a maximum
viscosity of 180 cSt. At the time of design, the decision to
use HFO 180 cSt was easy because the difference in price
between HFO 180 cSt and marine gas oil or diesel was