MEETING TO DISCUSS  FAME CONTENT IN AVIATION FUEL

HELD AT THE DFT – 3 DECEMBER 2008

CHIEF EXEC UKFSC SUMMARY

 

·                    DfT Minutes from the September FAME Meeting.

 

·                    The UKFSC CE Meeting Summary for September Meeting is on the UKFSC Website – External Meetings (posted 1st October 2008).

 

·                    The Agenda for this meeting.

 

Fuel Quality Assurance and Testing Update

 

·                    The petroleum industry continues work to identify a reliable and field-deployable fuel testing system to detect 5ppm of FAME in Jet fuel. Of 4 tests being developed, only 2 appear capable of satisfying the requirement at this stage.

 

o                       The only detection method available currently is through 2 specialised labs in the UK.

 

o                   Manufacturers continue to limit allowable FAME content to less than 5ppm.

 

o                   All planned testing will use 400ppm FAME content as the control in order to provide assurance for the ultimate target of 100ppm allowable limit. The outcome of the trial will need to satisfy and be agreed by the engine and aircraft OEMs and the airworthiness regulators.

 

o                   Lab testing is currently underway to establish the effect of 400ppm FAME in jet fuel in terms of fuel specification, burn characteristics and its chemical performance.

 

o                   Rolls Royce will commence engine relight trials and thermal stability trials in Jan 09 and is expected to commence a 150 hour endurance trail in March 09.

§                       It is expected that trails to investigate on the longer term effects of FAME on engine parts, seals, filters, pumps and tanks will be carried out in due course.

 

o                   The petroleum industry will meet with OEMs and IATA in Tampa in mid December to discuss the assurance and testing issue. It appears that only Airbus and Boeing are involved and that the smaller manufacturers may be out of the loop at this stage.

 

Cross Contamination Incidents

 

·                    In addition to the Birmingham Airport FAME-contaminated delivery earlier this year, another incident involving a delivery of fuel to Corsica raised further concerns.

 

o               A sea-going oil tanker belonging to an oil trader delivered bio-diesel to a Corsican port and then sought a reload of Jet fuel for onward transit to another destination without cleaning the tanks. Had this gone ahead outwith an intervention, then the jet fuel would have been contaminated well beyond the 5ppm limit and delivered into the aviation sector.

 

Contingencies

 

o               The petroleum industry is now starting to introduce tank cleaning procedures to try to prevent cross contamination on tankers. However, whilst the tankers directly operated by the petroleum companies are well regulated and monitored, there is a wide network of trader-owned tankers that are more difficult to track.

 

o               The UK CAA has issued FODCOM 47/2008 to its AOC Holders which alerts operators to the FAME issue and reminds them of their responsibilities to ensure that their respective fuel uplift meets the required specification.

 

o       In the event of contamination, the AOC holder is to contact the manufacturers for guidance on the appropriate action for crews and that crew should be directed not to take off in such an event.

 

o       In light of a lack of a field-deployable test for FAME detection,  it is recommended that AOC Holders seek assurance from their fuel suppliers that the A-1 fuel provided complies with the FAME content limitation of less than 5 ppm.

 

o               The meeting concluded with concern being expressed about the potential consequences on operations at a UK airport should contaminated fuel be issued to aircraft prior to an unacceptable level of FAME being detected subsequently.

 

§                     It was recommended that DfT formulate a contingency plan, in consultation with the cross-Government Civil Contingencies and other experts, to address such an event as a matter of urgency.  

 

 

o               As the FAME issue develops, further advice and information would be placed on the Joint Inspection Group website under Fuel Quality at http://194.74.158.241/jig/internet/. 

 

o               The next DfT FAME Update meeting would be called early in the New Year.

 

Rich Jones

Chief Exec

UK Flight Safety Committee

5 December 2008