It is considered a dirty fuel and has often been banned from use in the national capital and other cities around the world. But now a Monaco-based firm is offering Indian refiners a patented technology to emulsify fuel oil with water that helps cut down on emissions as well as gives better energy yield.

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FOWE Eco Solutions (FOWE) says a process known as cavitation using its Cavitech device allows for emulsification of fuel oil, also known as furnace oil, with fresh water on land or onboard a vessel. This process does not require any additives or further processing.

The result is a considerable reduction in particulate matter, its chief operating officer Hemant Sondhi said. Emissions of NOx, the main greenhouse gas contributors, are significantly reduced and fuel efficiency is improved.

"We have successfully tested our patented technology to emulsify fuel oil, which is also known as furnace oil, with 10 to 15 per cent water," he said. "The FOWE emulsified fuel gives better energy yield of about 8 to 10 per cent due to better combustion of fuel." Also, there is a remarkable improvement in environmental releases due to practically zero particulate matter and a reduction in NOx and SOx levels in flue gas releases.

The emulsified fuel using FOWE technology uses ordinary water and no chemical and results in 8 to 10 per cent better heat recovery that leads to much lower consumption of the fuel. It produces near-zero particulate matter in fuel gas exhaust while SOx is reduced by about 40 per cent and NOx by around 30 per cent. "We are offering our technology to Indian companies, particularly refiners," he said.

German multinational MAN Energy Solution, which has 85 per cent of engine serving the marine industry, recently gave a no objection for use of FOWE technology, clearing doubts of any water damages to engine.

Tests, Sondhi said, have concluded that in comparison with traditional petroleum fuel, the emulsified fuel is better based on five criteria including reduction of NOx, effect on particulate emissions, oil dilution, and variability of water addition expenditure.

"The emulsified fuel is one of the main strategies to substitute the conventional fossil fuel for the purpose of emission control and enhancement of fuel efficiency," he said. The technology has been used at Europe and in large ships run on fuel oil.

"The technology makes bonding and encapsulated neno water drops with fuel oil neno drops by controlled cavitation in the cavitation head. There is no chemical used and ordinary water is good enough in the production process. The emulsion so produced is very stable and under very severe tests conducted for six months shows no free water ie perfect bonding of water and fuel oil at the molecule level," he added.

When fuel oil used in large ships is treated, it results in 10 per cent bunker fuel consumption saving. This has been tested on Scorpio Tankers' 2015-built STI Action vessel during a voyage from Borsel to Skagen last year.

FOWE, headquartered in Monaco with offices also in Mumbai and Dubai, is focused on improving the environmental footprint of large energy-driven corporations.

FOWE has developed and patented technology that emulsifies fuel oil (furnace oil) and diesel with water allowing for its use in boilers, power generation engines and large-size DG sets (2/4 stroke engines). This greatly economizes fuel consumption thereby reducing the emission of air pollutants into the environment.

The FOWE's Cavitech technology has been utilized at a European refinery for the use of emulsion that included 15 per cent water in their boiler. The refinery achieved a fuel reduction of almost 9 per cent. The technology has also been in use on large ocean sailing cargo ships for their propulsion and power generation sets.

"These ships are owned by an NYSE-listed company that has reported achieving up to 10 per cent fuel efficiency along with a reduction in NOx, SOx and particle releases," the company said.

This is a unique technology, and the ensuing emulsification is completely stable. The emulsion has been kept in storage within a laboratory setting for over a year and has remained stable with no sign of separation. Mixing water to emulsify reduces the total calorific value. However, due to its presence, nanodroplets in the homogeneous emulsion achieve full atomization.

This ensures the complete burning of fuel and thereby compensates for the loss of calorific value caused by using water. By creating molecular-level bonding by nano water droplets, water assists in achieving a greater burning efficiency and release of energy, it added.

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