Safety investigators are currently looking into the possibility of contaminated fuel playing a role in the recent Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland. The incident involved a cargo ship losing power and colliding with the bridge.
According to Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, LLC, vessels typically use two types of fuel: Marine Distillate Fuels (Marine Gas Oil) for diesel engines and Marine Residual Fuels for main engines. Lipow explained that 'dirty fuel' can result from contamination with water or sediment during the refining process or from catalysts used in refining.
