Indian Navy Gets NATO Grade Fuel

This new initiative, the Navy says, would enhance equipment reliability and performance, reduce carbon footprint and emissions

Keeping pace with new technology, state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) on 13 January 2020 launched (High Flash High Speed Diesel) HFHSD – IN 512 which conforms to NATO grade for use in ships and frigates of Indian Navy.

The Indian Navy claims that the initiative would enhance equipment reliability, performance, reduce carbon footprint, emissions and more importantly would be key enabler in the Navy’s ‘Mission Based Deployment’ on a global scale.

The launch of the HFHSD – IN 512 came after a successful, “extensive and thorough” study conducted by the Navy in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited.

“With the advent of technology and refining techniques in the petroleum industry better quality of fuel abiding to more stringent specifications has become a necessity,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.

“The Indian Navy in collaboration with M/s IOCL carried out an extensive and thorough study and a comparative evaluation of existing international regulations (ISO, MARPOL, NATO etc). As an outcome, a revised technical specification was arrived at consisting of 22 test parameters including critical parameters cetane number, flash point, sulphur content, sediment content, oxidation stability and Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP),” the statement added.

With this, the country will be able to ensure interoperability amongst foreign navies during fleet exercises and provide fuel of quality better than that mandated to all foreign navies under bilateral/ multi-national logistics support pacts including LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement).