Arbok-VCBC (Bunker Cleaning)

Overview

Arbok-VCBC (Bunker Cleaning) is a vacuum-based treatment technology that cleans heavy marine fuel (HSFO) of sulfur, water, paraffins and solid particles at ambient temperature under deep vacuum — without hydrogen, catalysts or high pressure. Instead of blending down with expensive low-sulfur fuel (VLSFO) or installing exhaust-gas scrubbers, VCBC removes the contaminants themselves and recovers sulfur as a separate marketable product. Sulfur in the treated fractions falls to single-digit to tens of ppm — well below the IMO limits of 0.5% (global) and 0.1% (ECA). The system is containerized and deployable directly at the port or refinery gate, turning cheap high-sulfur fuel into IMO-compliant fuel on site.

Applications

Primary use cases:

• Port-side desulphurization of heavy fuel oil (HSFO) to IMO 0.5% / 0.1% specs

• Cleaning of bunker fuel from water, paraffins and solids

• Refinery-gate treatment of high-sulfur residual streams

Typical scenarios:

• On-site upgrade of cheap HSFO into compliant marine fuel

• Alternative to the VLSFO premium or scrubber installation

• Sulfur recovery as a commodity by-product

Industries and users:

• Shipping lines and bunker suppliers

• Ports and bunkering hubs

• Refineries and fuel traders

Scale:

• Substantial daily throughput per standard containerized module

• Linear scale-up by adding modules

Operating Principle

Heavy fuel is processed under deep vacuum at ambient temperature. Phase separation removes sulfur, water, paraffins and solids without bulk heating or aggressive chemical treatment. The only additive is TEG (thermally expanded graphite, a graphene-like sorbent), which binds contaminants and is regenerated in a closed loop — no consumables. Separated sulfur is discharged as a dry marketable product.

Process flow:

Heavy or high-sulfur feedstock enters the system and undergoes vacuum-phase separation at ambient temperature, where sulfur, water, paraffins and solids are progressively separated from the fuel matrix. TEG-assisted binding and polishing refines contaminant removal beyond what phase separation alone achieves. Cleaned fuel fractions are then recovered as the primary product, while sulfur, water and paraffins are collected as distinct, separately marketable or disposable streams.

Limitations:

• Requires stable deep-vacuum conditions

• Performance depends on feedstock composition

• Cold climates require a heated enclosure

Key Parameters

|Parameter|Conventional (hydrotreating)|Arbok-VCBC|

|---|---|---|

|Process conditions|300–400 °C, 50–100 atm, H₂ + catalysts|Ambient temperature, deep vacuum|

|Energy consumption|15–25 kWh/t|1–3 kWh/t|

|OPEX|100–150 $/t|20–30 $/t|

|CAPEX|Refinery-scale|3–5× lower|

|Sulfur in product|—|single-digit to tens of ppm|

|Emissions|SOₓ, CO₂|SOₓ 0, zero emissions|

Typical values:

• Throughput: substantial daily volume per standard containerized module

• Energy: 1–3 kWh/t, up to 98% internal recuperation

• Mass converted to marketable products: up to 96%

• Recovered sulfur revenue: ~8–10 $/t fuel (sulfur ~270–300 $/t, 2025)

Architecture and Components

Core components:

• Vacuum separation chamber

• TEG sorbent regeneration loop

• Condensation and fraction collection

• Sulfur / water / paraffin separation modules

• Control system (PLC / automation)

Auxiliary systems:

• Feed tanks

• Output storage (fuel, sulfur, water, paraffins)

The system is modular, housed in a standard shipping container, and scalable by replication.

Advantages

Technical:

• Deep desulphurization without hydrogen, catalysts or high pressure

• Removes water, paraffins and solids in one process

• TEG sorbent regenerated — no consumables

Economic:

• OPEX 20–30 $/t vs 100–150 $/t for conventional desulphurization

• ~100 $/t saving vs the VLSFO premium

• Sulfur recovered and sold as a commodity (~8–10 $/t fuel)

Environmental:

• Zero emissions (SOₓ 0), closed material balance

• No washwater discharge (unlike open-loop scrubbers)

• Up to 96% of input mass converted to products

Strategic:

• Desulphurization moves from large refineries to the port

• Turns cheap HSFO into IMO-compliant fuel on site

• Recovered sulfur supports fertilizer / chemical supply chains

Integrations

Compatible with:

• Port bunkering and storage infrastructure

• Refinery residual streams

• On-site energy systems (gas by-product reuse)

Digital integration:

• SCADA / PLC automation

• Remote monitoring

• Predictive maintenance

Deployment & Operation

Implementation steps:

• Site assessment and sizing

• Container module installation

• Commissioning

Operating conditions:

• Open-air on asphalt / concrete; heated enclosure in cold climates

• Standard industrial utilities

Operation:

• Continuous 24/7, automated, minimal operator involvement

Installation timeline:

• Weeks per module, not years

TRL

TRL 7 (confirmed by Michael)

Evidence:

• Vacuum Cracking validated on petroleum feedstocks, including high-sulfur streams

• Containerized modules operational

Remaining steps:

• Marine-fuel field demonstration at port scale

• Class-society / third-party validation

• Standardization across bunkering markets

Market Potential

Target industries:

• Shipping and bunkering

• Ports and refineries

Global market size:

• ~240 million t/year of marine bunker fuel

• Sulfur market ~85 million t/year (>90% recovered by-product)

Addressable share:

• High-sulfur fuel volumes requiring IMO compliance

Typical Project Economics

System capacity: a standard containerized module handling a substantial daily volume of fuel

OPEX: 20–30 $/t (incl. regenerable TEG)

Energy: 1–3 kWh/t (~0.1–0.3 $/t)

Sulfur revenue: ~8–10 $/t fuel

Saving vs conventional compliance: ~100 $/t

Risk Factors

• Conservative industry adoption

• Need for marine-specific field validation

• Volatile HSFO–VLSFO price spread affects payback

• Regulatory approval timelines

• Integration with port / legacy systems

Related Technologies

ARBOK-VC (Vacuum Cracking) · ARBOK-SULPHUR · ARBOK-DeSulph · OILTRAP