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Intertek, a leading provider of testing, inspection and safety services, has announced the launch of its SHIPCARE Marine Services, a global program providing bunker fuel testing, inspection, ship engine and lubricant analysis, along with other services aimed at ship owners and fleet managers.

Commenting on the new service, Intertek said: "Ship owners and fleet managers must manage demanding and ever-changing conditions and requirements for bunker fuel quality. As a result ship owners - large and small - are at risk of being harmed financially from operational downtime and regulatory fines caused from off-specification bunker fuels. The shipping industry benefits from a consistent approach to fuel and lubricant testing and certification, providing assurances those expensive ship assets are protected."

Geoff Jones, Business Line Leader for Marine Services, commented: "The Intertek SHIPCARE Marine Services program is a complete service offering designed to support the people, processes and regulatory requirements of the shipping industry. Intertek helps clients achieve the quality conditions needed in order to run a streamlined operation and create a more sustainable and robust maritime business environment,"

The Intertek SHIPCARE Marine Services program aims to create an efficient process for testing bunker fuel in order to positively impact profitability among ship owners and fleet managers by decreasing damage to ship engines, reducing costly downtime and repairs, and helping avoid regulatory fines. Reports of fuel analysis are issued with full engineering comments. In the event of off-specification fuel, recommendations for corrective treatment are given by Intertek's industry experts.

Intertek SHIPCARE Marine Services offers three service components: Bunker Fuel Quality Testing, Bunker Quantity Survey Reports (BQS), and Oil Condition Monitoring (OCM), also called Lubricant Quality Scanning (LQS).

"These marine services are managed by seasoned Intertek experts with significant industry expertise, helping ship owners and other clients address and overcome potential issues," Intertek said.

Bunker fuel sample handling, testing and inspection capabilities are located in major ports and shipping centres around the world, including Rotterdam, Shanghai, Singapore, Panama, UK, and the US, amongst others.

"Intertek's local presence, combined with our global network, gives clients a competitive advantage by providing rapid and useful bunker fuel quality and quantity data," Intertek stated.

The Intertek Lintec laboratory, with 18 years of bunker fuel testing expertise, is the operational hub of the SHIPCARE global bunker fuel quality monitoring program. Located in Darlington, UK, Intertek Lintec is expanding its expertise to additional centers in Singapore and the USA.

A Key feature in the program includes a state-of-the-art, web-enabled, laboratory management system offering advanced data interrogation tools to manage bunker fuel challenges, better configure capabilities on auditing requirements, and prepare and respond to regulatory changes. The program also has a uniquely designed Priority Advantage Desk (PAD) tool, enabling Intertek experts to report rapidly and provide real-time updates for ship owners and other clients.

"To achieve growth and success in today's competitive marine services industry, ship owners and fleet managers should work with a testing and certification partner that not only can accomplish the task at hand, but also provide industry intelligence and processes to help advance the overall business operations for marine industry clients across the globe," said Jay Gutierrez, Executive Vice President for Intertek's Commodities Division.

"The Intertek SHIPCARE Marine Services program brings together powerful capabilities for tracking bunker fuel testing and inspection, helping ensure tough regulatory and commercial requirements are met, thereby decreasing expensive downtime for the maritime industry," Gutierrez added.