Standard Operational Procedure – Palm Oil

1. General:
As this is your first voyage with Palm Oil for Stena Weco, we urge you to study this Standard
Operational Procedure (SOP) and act in accordance with it.

Should you at any time/stage have any questions or doubt, please do not hesitate to contact us.

2. Attachments
Together with this SOP you will find the following attached documents:
• Heating Log: The heating log should be updated and sent to the Stena Weco Operator
(hereafter referred to as the operator) together with the daily morning report.
• FOSFA Heating Instructions in Respect of Bulk Shipment of Oils and Fats (for reference
only).
• FOSFA Qualifications and Operational Procedure for Ships Engaged in the Carriage of Oils
and Fats in Bulk for Edible and Oleo-Chemical Use
• FOSFA List of Banned Immediate Previous Cargos
• FOSFA List of Acceptable Previous Cargos.
• Load port information - letter to terminal/shippers (sent as applicable)

3. Equipment
From our experience, the following equipment is of high importance in order to carry out an
efficient discharge and cleaning operation. It is essential that the equipment is available on-
board and tested. If not, please urgently place orders with your owners for new equipment or
spare parts and make sure delivery and repairs are done in good time for your first discharge.

• Minimum of 2 air driven fans or hydro blowers.

• Minimum of 2 intrinsically safe tank lights
• Minimum of 2 portable butterworth machines and hoses (if vessel is equipped with fixed
machines).
• Sufficient amount of air hoses with suitable connections
• Sufficient amount of steam hoses with suitable connections
• Y-pieces for line cleaning (if vessel cargo lines are larger than 12” diameter)
• Sweeping equipment (if vessel is to perform sweeping)
 Vaders (Hip or chest vaders, wellingtons are usually too short)
 Squeegees (30-40 cm hard rubber squeegees, with long handles)
 Hard plastic shovels
 General safety equipment, for operations in hot environment

Additional to above, vessel should at some point, test and make sure all fix butter-worth
machines and butter-worth heat exchangers are tested and found in order and delivery /
throughput is in accordance with specification.
4. Loading
4.1. FOSFA Requirements
Palm Oil is usually fixed under FOSFA requirements. Master should familiarize himself and
comply with the requirements in the attached “FOSFA - Qualifications and Operational
Procedure…”.
If the vessel is not in compliance for any reason whatsoever, Master should notify the us and his
owners immediately.

4.2. Preparations/cleanliness
There have been several Palm Oil contamination cases, especially on new-buildings on maiden
voyage. Contamination is mostly solvent related and the reasons are, but not limited to:

a) Insufficient cleaning before loading.

b) Insufficient curing/drying time between coating layer application at the yard.

To avoid similar cases it is of high importance that vessel cleans the tanks properly before the
first loading, regardless of whether she is a new-building or not. All tanks, lines and pumps
should be presented clean, mopped, dried, well drained and free of odour. It is common to find
newbuilds with rags and other debris in the cargo system – vessel must ensure that the entire
cargo system has been well inspected to their satisfaction!

For vessels cleaning from a previous cargo, all tanks, lines and pumps should be cleaned and
presented free of previous cargo residues, mopped, dried and well drained. If any coating (for
Zinc, Epoxy or MarineLine coated vessels) damage is present, such as cracks, mechanical damage
with rust and blisters etc, this information should be forwarded to the operator as soon as
possible and in due time before loading. Any other information related to tank condition, such as
extensive soot (IG residues), dye, or similar factors, should also be reported to the operator
immediately.

Vessel fitted with heating coils, should pressure test their coils before loading.

The surveyors at the load ports are required to witness a heating coil test at the load port. Please
ensure that the vessel is prepared for such test on arrival load port, in order to minimize pre-
loading time.

4.3. Loading operation

In some cases vessel would either be requested to or have the option to load Palm Oil over top.
This is indeed the best method, as it will ease the workload of clearing the lines after loading and
also avoid the risk of blocking the lines en-route. If loading over top is an option, please
immediately contact the operator and confirm that this is in line with the Charter Party.

If loading is through the cargo lines, make sure all lines are properly blown free of cargo after
loading is completed. If the common lines/collectors/cross-overs are used, these also have to be
properly cleared as soon as possible. It is, after completion of blowing, advisable to open each
manifold and drain the lines free of residues.
4.4. Documentation/information
Vessel should submit a proper stowage plan, to the operator, once all parcels are fixed and
stowed. Among others, heating instructions and “shipping documents1” should be issued, in load
port. Make sure that the melting point on the “shipping document” is in line with the heating
instruction, keeping in mind that instructed voyage heating should not be less than 5°C above
the melting point from the “shipping document” 1. If any discrepancy exists, Master should issue
a “Letter of Protest”. New voyage heating range should then be agreed with the operator.

5. Voyage
5.1. Preparations

As vessel movement can cause blockage of certain lines during voyage there are some points to
take into consideration:

• Keep IG branch lines blanked – as close to the deck penetration as possible.

• Splashing can also cause the P/V lines to clog and together with a defective pressure
sensor, increased or decreased pressure in the tank can cause severe structural damage.
Therefore it is important that you equalize the pressure from time to time, and take
necessary precautions to avoid over / under pressurization of the tank.

5.2. Heating/circulation
Throughout the entire voyage, temperatures of all tanks are to be monitored closely and
recorded twice a day (e.g 08:00 and 20:00). Temperatures shall be taken from top, middle and
bottom and in compliance with “FOSFA Heating Instruction, § 3.1.8”. If automatic temperature
readings are not available or not covered by cargo, manual reading by means of UTI or other
suitable thermometer can be used. Frequent manual temperature reference check must be
carried out – preferably at least once every 2 days.

An updated version of the attached “Heating Log” should be forwarded together with your daily
morning position report to the operator.

Crude Palm Oil (CPO) (& some other fractions of Palm Oil) has a tendency to cause
sedimentation at the bottom, if not kept in motion. During heating and regardless of whether
the vessel has coils or deck heaters, vertical heat convection will take place. But as the sediments
are often rather compact a forceful horizontal movement is very beneficial.

Therefore we recommend circulating, through the drop-line, each tank for at least 1-2 hours
every morning and evening to prevent sediment build-up, with high speed on the cargo pumps.

Temperatures during voyage should be kept at the high end of the heating instruction range.
With reference to pt. 4.4, if heating instructions and melting points are not in line, new voyage
temperature range should be agreed with the operator.

1
”Shipping document” is an optional document, containing information, issued by the shippers. Same information may also be
inserted in the ”Bill of Lading” – please refer to the IBC Code Chapter 17 and BLG.1/Circ.18 (Page 258/259).
6. Discharge
Proper planning is essential for a smooth discharge, port operation and cleaning. We urge you to
start planning the discharge in good time before arrival first discharge port.

6.1. Preparation
Having all equipment lined up and checked can save you from extra workload and time loss. We
suggest you check and have ready the following:

• Check, with air from both sides of the manifold, that all cargo lines are open. If any of the
lines are blocked for some reason, make sure opening is established before arrival port.
• Check movement of all cargo valves.
• Immediately before arrival, check that all pumps are running properly
• Steam line and air line on deck is pressurized with no leaks.
• Equipment listed under Section 3 is in place and checked; or confirm that it will be
supplied once vessel is alongside.

Any deviation or abnormality to above should be reported to the operator immediately.

6.2. Temperature
When arriving at discharge port, all temperatures shall be at the upper range of the instructed
temperature for discharge (e.g CPO at 54-55°C and Palm Stearin 69-70°C). The temperatures
shall be reached, no later than 3 days (summer time) and 5 days (winter time) before arrival
discharge port.

Note! When increasing the temperatures, you are to comply with “FOSFA Heating Instruction, §
3.1.6”.

Surveyors, in some discharge ports, occasionally request the vessel to heat up the cargo to above
instruction limits. If such request is made, vessel must get such request in writing, signed and
stamped by the relevant company / surveyor.

Regardless of a written request, increase of temperature shall be within the limits of the FOSFA
Heating Instruction.

Master is also responsible for discharging the Palm Oils in accordance with the requirements of
MARPOL 73/78 - Annex II, to avoid a mandatory pre-wash situation. Any failure to do so and
where vessels will be subject to mandatory pre-wash, any accrued expenses for time loss and
de-slopping expenses will be for your owner’s account.

6.3. Discharge/sweeping/circulation
A proper discharge/rotation plan should be in place well before arrival. When planning it is
important that vessel is takes into consideration that the sweeping crew will need some time
between tanks, both to prepare equipment in/around next tank, but also to give the sweeping
crew time to rest. Therefore 30 – 60 min should be calculated between each tank
sweeping/completion.
Slushing/splashing of cargo into the P/V lines is not unusual and they will block, as described
under pt. 5.1. When discharging Palm Oil it is strongly preferred to discharge with a hatch partly
open (e.g. butter-worth hatch cover resting on the dog nuts).

Cold weather discharge of Palm Oil can be a challenge and will require vessel to plan and be
prepared for any eventualities. It is important that vessel is prepared to deal with any stop in
discharge. During extreme cold weather shorter or longer stops should be discussed and agreed
with the loading master and ways to clear the shoreline/vessel’s cargo lines should be agreed.

For vessel with deck heaters it is important to clear/drain the lines/heater on deck when heating
is stopped and discharge commences, to avoid blocking of the lines.

Sweeping is one of the key operations when discharging Palm Oil. In some ports sweeping crew
can/will be arranged. Regardless of whether sweeping is performed by vessel’s crew or hired
sweeping crew, vessel is still reasonable for organizing and coordinating the operation. Below
are some key points for sweeping:

a) 1-2 hours before a tank is empty, ventilation should be started and tank lighting
established.
b) Prepare all necessary equipment (e.g. safety equipment, squeegees, vaders, rags,
drinking water).
c) When about 50-60 cm remaining, one of the sweeping crew (usually the foreman) or one
of the ship’s crew, should enter the tank to check for any sediment build-up or solidified
cargo. If any solids are found, discharge should stop or reduced and the solid cargo
should be liquefied by either:
a) manually mixing, or
b) In combination with circulation.

Once no solids remaining, final discharge and sweeping can be performed.

d) Once the tank top is completely swept, close the main discharge valve before stopping
the pump.

NOTE! Immediately before any person is entering the tank the atmosphere shall be checked and
heating coils turned off. Make also reference to #8.1.

If considerable amounts of solids or bottom sediments are present, the involved tank can be
isolated from the discharge and put on circulation. Heating should also be re-established.
Continue the circulation until most of the solids are liquefied or till a reasonable amount to allow
sweeping to continue. If circulation is talking considerable time, make sure all lines are cleared to
avoid blockage.

Once discharge/sweeping of a tank or tank pair (if sharing line) is completed it is strongly
advisable to blow the Line, followed by steaming of the line(s) back to each tank. This has to be
done in agreement with the surveyor, as he will not be able to inspect the tank after steaming
has commenced. Calling in the surveyor for tank inspection on completion of each tank might be
the best option. Bear in mind that failing to clear the line properly will considerably delay the
cleaning operation.

6.4. Ballast
Ballasting is in most cases necessary during discharge. Any ballast operations with cargo still on-
board must be done with caution to avoid solidification. If it is unavoidable to ballast under a
laden tank, make sure the level is adjusted such that the water does not get in contact with the
tank top.

Once discharge is completed and required ballasting done, a ballast exchange plan should be
available for the upcoming tank cleaning. Cleaning of any tank with last cargo Palm Oil and with
ballast underneath will take considerably longer time and in some cases it will not be possible.

7. Cleaning:
Once loading is completed a proper cleaning plan should be issued by the Master/Chief Officer
and sent to the operator.

There are several steps of cleaning, some are mandatory and others are required or just
preferable. Tank cleaning after Palm Oil is very much depending on grade, season and the
outcome of the sweeping, but the basic cleaning will more or less be the same.

7.1. Mandatory pre-wash:

Mandatory pre-wash is a MARPOL regulated cleaning, either required by the local authorities
because of visual appearance of the tank (insufficient sweeping or heavy clingage) or due to
insufficient heating causing too high viscosity or too low temperatures according to MARPOL
Annex II, Reg. 1.5.

The procedure for mandatory pre-wash is laid down in MARPOL, IBC Code and the vessels P&A
Manual. Vessel is strongly requested to familiarize and comply with necessary regulations, to
avoid any pre-wash issues.

7.2. Pre-cleaning/steam saturation:

Pre-cleaning is in no way related to the above issue with Pre-wash. Pre-cleaning is an optional,
but yet highly recommendable initial cleaning, especially during North West Europe winter
season.

Pre-cleaning is basically just an initial flush down of each tank immediately after discharge is
completed with the tank cleaning machines and while any ROB is soft. This will move most of the
bulkhead and deck head residues to the bottom of the tank and it will be easier to deal with
later. Once flushing is completed, leave the slop in the tank and apply heating to keep the
residues liquid. Temperature for the pre-cleaning varies from grade to grade. Pre-cleaning is
done with seawater, except Palm Oil fractions with high FFA (e.g. PFAD and PAO), where
freshwater should be used.
If pre-cleaning is not possible, there are other ways of keeping the ROB soft until regular tank
cleaning can commence, such as saturating the tank with steam (ref. pt. 6.3. blowing/steaming
of lines after discharge) or just filling the bottom of each tank with hot water and continue
heating (sweating).

7.3. Cleaning
Tank cleaning time will vary from time to time, as issues like seawater and air temperature, sea
conditions, number and types of fixed and/or portable cleaning machines together with
positioning (shadow area coverage) and next cargo will have great influence, but the method is
more or less the same.

One of the most important issues when cleaning after Palm Oil is temperature control. Too high
or too low temperature will give undesired results. As a general rule the initial temperature
should be in the same range as required discharge temperature (e.g. CPO 50-55°C). Another
issue is cleaning machine coverage. That said a standard cleaning procedure for Palm Oil would
look like:

1. 2-4 hours hot seawater (initial temperature same as discharge temperature, temperature
to be increase
every 30-60 min, depending on cleaning time).
2. Inspect all tanks and if residues remaining in shadow areas, pre arrange portable cleaning
machines
and re-clean until removed.
3. 10-15 min fresh water flush. Also make sure the lines are properly flushed.
4. Ventilating, mopping and drying. At the end pop the lines

This cleaning method has not taken into consideration requirements for season or next cargo
among others. Additional cleaning time and/or cleaning chemical circulation might be required.

7.4. Slop disposal:

Vessel is responsible for disposing the slop in accordance and compliance with all applicable local
and global regulatory requirements, including but not limited to MARPOL Annex II and the
vessels P&A Manual.

8. NOTE:
8.1. Coconut Oil
Crude Coconut Oil (CCNO) is known to release Carbon Monoxide (CO) during heating. Extended
ventilation is therefore a requirement, before tank entry/sweeping.

If vessel is carrying CCNO proper analysing equipment should be on-board and used to detect CO
(e.g.Dräeger Tubes or equivalent) before tank entry.

If any you have any questions or doubts to the above, please contact your operator immediately.