Oil and Gas APAC

AddFuel: The Science Behind Cleaner Combustion
AddFuel
AddFuel: The Science Behind Cleaner Combustion
Stuart Martin, Director
Shipping operators know the number. Ships use between 20,000 and 200,000 litres of fuel per day. Every liter of wasted fuel shows up in operating costs, emissions and CII ratings that determine what operators pay at port.

Most of the industry has responded by raising the use of cetane or octane levels to produce a stronger combustion event.

“Unlike technologies that seek to alter fuel characteristics, AFC focuses on fuel conditioning, water management, fuel system cleanliness and combustion optimization,” says Stuart Martin, director of AddFuel, an Australian manufacturer of environmentally friendly fuel enhancement solutions.

AddFuel developed AFC around a different ideology—leave the fuel alone and focus on the engine.

AFC uses fuel as a delivery system. It does not alter fuel specifications or affect OEM warranty conditions. Traveling through the combustion system, AFC breaks the residual water globule’s surface tension, reducing them to microscopic particulates that pass through the combustion cycle and vaporize into steam. The process assists fuel system cleanliness and supports cleaner injector operation. AFC also breaks down the hydrocarbons, waxes, gums and varnishes that accumulate over time inside pumps and internal engine components. It helps condition and protect critical fuel system components, keeping equipment running at factory specifications and allowing operators to extend maintenance schedules. “One biodegradable, non-hazardous product doses directly into existing fuel systems and delivers measurable gains in fuel efficiency, emissions and asset life,” says Colin Irvine, finance director.

APAC Energy Systems: Non-Hazardous Fuel Additive Advancements

Non-hazardous fuel additive solutions in APAC operate within an energy landscape shaped by diverse fuel standards, evolving environmental priorities, and varied industrial usage patterns. These additives are formulated to improve combustion quality, stabilize fuel composition, and reduce undesirable byproducts without introducing harmful chemical risks. Their relevance extends across transportation, power generation, and industrial operations, where fuel performance directly influences efficiency and maintenance outcomes.

The regional context adds complexity, as fuel types, climatic conditions, and regulatory expectations differ widely across markets. Within this environment, additive solutions are positioned as functional enhancements that align operational performance with safety and environmental considerations, without introducing additional handling or storage burdens.

Evolving Patterns in Fuel Performance Optimization and Additive Integration

Non-hazardous fuel additive solutions in APAC are increasingly integrated into fuel management strategies that emphasize both performance consistency and environmental alignment. Fuel systems are no longer evaluated solely on energy output but on how efficiently combustion occurs and how residues are managed within engines and equipment. Additives are being designed to support cleaner burn characteristics, reducing deposits that can affect engine components over time.

Adoption patterns reflect a shift toward solutions that can be incorporated without requiring significant modification to existing infrastructure. Non-hazardous formulations are favored in environments where safety protocols and handling requirements must remain straightforward. This has led to broader acceptance across sectors that prioritize operational continuity, including logistics networks and distributed power systems. The ability to introduce performance improvements without altering storage or transport conditions supports smoother integration into established supply chains.

Another notable development involves the alignment of additive use with emission management objectives. Combustion efficiency is closely tied to emission output, and additives that support more complete fuel utilization contribute to lower particulate formation and reduced exhaust irregularities. In this context, additive solutions are increasingly evaluated not only for their direct performance impact but for how they influence broader environmental outcomes within operational settings.

Digital monitoring is also influencing how additive performance is assessed. Fuel usage data and engine diagnostics provide insights into how additives interact with specific systems, allowing adjustments that reflect actual operating conditions. This creates a more responsive approach to additive application, where performance improvements are measured and refined based on observed outcomes rather than static assumptions.

Managing Variability and Compliance through Structured Additive Solutions

Non-hazardous fuel additive solutions in APAC must address challenges related to fuel variability, regulatory diversity, and operational consistency, each approached through structured solutions that maintain reliability without introducing complexity. One of the more persistent challenges arises from differences in fuel composition across regions, where variations in base fuel quality can influence how additives perform. This is addressed through formulation adaptability, where additive blends are calibrated to function effectively across a range of fuel types, ensuring consistent performance regardless of source variation.

Storage and transportation conditions introduce additional considerations, particularly in climates where temperature fluctuations can affect fuel stability. Non-hazardous additives are designed with chemical stability that withstands these environmental variations, allowing them to maintain effectiveness without requiring specialized handling. This ensures that performance benefits are preserved from distribution through end use, supporting reliability across extended supply chains.

“Combustion efficiency is closely tied to emission output.”

Regulatory alignment presents another layer of complexity, as standards related to fuel composition and environmental impact differ across jurisdictions within the region. Compliance is addressed through formulation strategies that meet broad regulatory criteria while maintaining performance characteristics. Documentation and testing protocols are integrated into development processes, ensuring that additive solutions can be deployed across multiple markets without requiring significant modification.

Operational consistency also depends on correct dosing and application practices. Variations in how additives are introduced into fuel systems can affect outcomes. This challenge is managed through precise dosing guidelines and delivery mechanisms that ensure uniform distribution within fuel volumes, maintaining predictable performance across different usage scenarios.

Advancing Fuel Efficiency through Safer Additive Innovation

Non-hazardous fuel additive solutions in APAC continue to evolve through advancements that refine both their functional impact and their integration into broader energy systems. One area of progress involves the development of formulations that target specific combustion characteristics, allowing additives to influence how fuel interacts with engine environments at a more detailed level. These refinements support improved energy release and reduced residue formation, contributing to longer equipment life and more stable operation.

Analytical capabilities are also shaping how additives are developed and applied. Data derived from fuel performance and engine diagnostics is used to identify patterns that inform formulation adjustments. This creates a feedback-driven approach where additive effectiveness is continuously refined based on measurable outcomes, allowing solutions to remain aligned with real-world operating conditions.

Integration with emission management strategies continues to expand. Additives are being designed to complement broader efforts aimed at reducing environmental impact, supporting cleaner combustion without introducing additional chemical risks. This alignment allows fuel systems to meet performance and environmental expectations simultaneously, reinforcing the role of additives within sustainable operational frameworks.

Advancements in formulation chemistry are contributing to improved stability and consistency, allowing additives to maintain their properties over extended periods and across varying conditions. This durability supports reliable performance in diverse environments, reducing the need for frequent adjustment or intervention.

The Key To Reducing Fuel Consumption And Reduced Environmental Footprint
National Oilwell Varco [NYSE: NOV]
The Key To Reducing Fuel Consumption And Reduced Environmental Footprint
Frode Jensen, President Rig Technologies

Background

The offshore Oil & Gas industry is being challenged to reduce pollutant emissions. To achieve this, in the current market situation of low oil prices and very low newbuild activity, new and innovative concepts are needed to combine reaching environmental goals with improved economic viability. Reduction of system cost, as well as reduction of operational cost are essential to increase profitability under such economic climate or conditions.

One of the largest potentials for offshore installations and vessels to reduce both operational costs and emissions is by reducing fuel consumption. National Oilwell Varco has developed a compact and reliable high efficiency hybrid energy storage system that will enable significant fuel saving on floating drilling vessels where space is limited.

Challenge

Offshore installations far out at sea do not have the benefit of being supported by onshore power grids. They rely on local power generation by means of a set of large diesel-powered generators. For drilling vessels (floating installations in particular), strict requirements are set for the power supply system. The equipment they need to power is operated under challenging and constantly changing (weather) conditions and require large amounts of energy in order to perform their main task. Compensation of wave motions, sea currents, and wind, as well as hoisting and lowering extremely high loads are causing peak demands in the power supply. These peak power demands on top of the normal power requirement on board for utilities are causing a high fluctuation in the diesel engines powering the generators, resulting in low engine efficiency.

"In the current market situation of low oil prices and very low new build activity, new and innovative concepts are needed to combine achievement of environmental goals with improved economic viability."

Solution

National Oilwell Varco AS (NOV) is battling this inefficiency by introducing a kinetic energy recovery system together with a battery bank designed for assisting heavy electrical machinery. The system, named Power Blade Hybrid (PBH), will level out the power fluctuations seen by the generator engines and will be able to store excess energy and utilize this energy when needed.

The solution will optimize and improve generator supply performance, with fewer diesel engines needed online. Each engine-generator can be heavier loaded and will also offset the need to start new engines. It will lead to reduced engine running hours, while the running hours are more efficient. Machinery with great fluctuating power demands cause extreme loads on the power generating equipment, will experience the greatest benefits from this system.

The project to develop and test a full-scale prototype is in full motion. NOV has partnered up with Odfjell Drilling and the project received financial funding from the Research Council of Norway through their DEMO 2000 program.

The PowerBlade Hybrid system consists of a flywheel and a battery bank. The flywheel has been thoroughly tested by NOV in a previous development project, the innovation for this project is adding the battery bank creating a true hybrid system where two energy storage systems work efficiently together

Adding a battery solution with a flywheel enables the system to utilize the advantages of the batteries which the flywheel is lacking, and vice versa. An illustration of this relationship is shown in the matrix below:

A flywheel energy storing system is the best choice for reliability and long lifetime, but has practical limitations when it comes to energy storage density. However, peak power output performance is still very good.

A battery is the best choice with regard to storage density, but has practical limitations when it comes to limited cycle capacity and has a reduced lifetime. A hybrid solution allows superior support for all drilling modes: full peak power shaving in heave compensation and also when tripping in/ out. Batteries in combination with flywheel enables nonstop operation of drilling equipment also through periods of generator black-outs.

With its energy storage desnity, PBH will offer large electric machines to accelerate faster and work more dynamically. Ultimately, this results in higher operational speed and efficiency for the entire offshore installation.

Currently the prototype has been assembled and tested at NOVs R&D testing facilities in Vennesla, Norway, only 20 minutes’ drive from NOVs office in Kristiansand. Now that the testing is completed, Odfjell Drilling has selected a drilling vessel with an NOV drilling system package and other supportive power service equipment for use as a case-study and pilot for large-scale testing. The main objective of the project is to proof the key objectives regarding economic feasibility, energy storage capacity, safety, reliability and lifespan, and specific applications related to rules and regulations for drilling. Eventually show the industry that the new technology behind this concept should be embraced.

In conclusion the system greatly contributes to more energy efficient operations, reduction of environmental footprint, load leveling of generators by peak power shaving, and so lowering maintenance costs while increasing safety.