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%u201cWe have declared General Average (GA) and have already asked affected cargoowners/customers to submit the respective securities for a fast cargo release,%u201d acompany spokesperson told The Maritime Executive.Cargo claims consultant WK Webster is informing customers that it believes Maerskintends to discharge the entire cargo of the vessel in Malaysia. The ship had beenscheduled to proceed to China. Webster advises that General Average security will berequired from all cargo interests before the delivery of their cargo. It has cargo surveyorsstanding by and fire experts to investigate the cause of the fire.Maersk reported that the crew of the ship spotted smoke on August 13 and beganfirefighting procedures. They were working to keep the situation under control whileexternal firefighting support was being organized. Initially, two tugboats with firefightingequipment reached the ship off Liberia, and within days, they reported the spread of thefire had been contained. An expert firefighting team boarded the vessel on August 19, andthe decision was then made to resume the voyage.https://maritime-executive.com/article/maersk-declares-general-average-after-container-fire-aboard-marie-maerskWARNINGS OF RECENT SPIKE IN OFF-SPEC MARINE FUELS INCLUDINGVLSFO IN EUROPEThere are renewed quality concerns for the most popular marine fuels, and especially forvery low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) used by many vessels to meet emission requirements. Arange of sediments and impurities raises concerns not only of accelerated wear but alsoclogs and failures of critical components in the fuel system that can cause unplannedstoppages or blackouts.%u201cBunkering with off-spec fuel continues to be a real issue,%u201d says David Fuhlbr%u00fcgge,Managing Director, CM Technologies, a condition monitoring company.%u201cThe transitionfrom traditional fuel oils to VLSFO has created ongoing problems for ship operators, withfuel quality issues becoming a persistent concern across major bunkering hubs since theintroduction of the fuel more than ten years ago.%u201dOne market analyst they point out reported in January 2025 that more than 45 percent ofthe global VLSFO supply does not meet ISO standards. CMT says that independent data inthe second quarter showed a further increase, with more than half of all VLSFO samplestested off-spec due to excessive sediment. Issues include poor blending and bargecontamination.Leading independent agencies, Bureau Veritas, VeriFuel, VPS, and FOBAS, have indicatedthat the problem is especially concerning in Europe. With their reports showing higherthan expected levels of catalytic fines, sediments, and or viscosity issues. In Skagen,Norway, for example. 84 percent of samples tested were off-spec, while in Piraeus,Greece, one-in-eight VLSFO deliveries were off-spec. The reports highlight concerns in thebusy corridor between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp.https://maritime-executive.com/article/warnings-of-recent-spike-in-off-spec-marine-fuels-including-vlsfo-in-europe