Info Centre >> Fuel and Lube Oil Technical Manual >> 3. Fuel Oil - Delivery & Sampling >> 3.1 Specifications
Fuel Specifications
In 1982, the Working Group responsible for the development of the international standard issued the Draft Proposal of what became ISO 8217 “Petroleum products - Fuels (class F) - Specifications of marine fuels”. Issued at the same time was the Draft Proposal of what became ISO 8216 “Petroleum products - Fuels (class F) - Classification Part 1 - Marine Fuels”. The first edition of the international standards was published in 1987. In 1989, BS MA 100 was reissued and is identical to the International Standard. In 1996, the second edition of ISO 8217 was issued and this is denominated as ISO 8217 : 1996 (E).
It should be noted that in some countries, gas oil and diesel oil are produced for the local land-based market to a national specification. Included in such a specification is usually a minimum flash point and this value may be below that required by international legislation for normal marine use.
Summary of fuel specifications
International fuel specification ISO 8217
ISO 8217 defines four distillate grades
ISO 8217 defines fifteen residual grades
Most commonly used grades RME 25, RMF 25, RMG 35
and RMH 35, which correspond to IF 180 and IF 380
CIMAC recommendations covered by latest (1996) ISO specification*
* A small difference here is that the CIMAC recommendations also include a minimum viscosity recommendation for RMA10 and RMA 25, inserted to limit lubricity problems with fuel pumps and injectors. Very low sulphur fuels have also been associated with lubricity problems.
"Updating ISO8217" by Wanda Fabriek, World Bunkering, May 2005
Below: INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 8217:1996 (E)
Petroleum Products - Fuels (Class F) - Specifications of marine fuels. Requirements for marine residual fuels
1) Annex C gives brief viscosity/temperature table, for information purposes only. 1 mm2/s = 1 cSt.
(2) Purchasers should ensure that this pour point is suitable for the equipment on board, especially if the vessel is operating in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
(3) RML45 & 55 removed for clarity as not intended for diesel engines.
