Start-up generation engine wasn’t starting

A vessel reported that their start-up generation engine wasn’t starting and requested a shore support.
Some of the most common causes for engine start problems are poor fuel atomization, air blockages or cold engines (a common issue in cold areas).
Service team arrived onboard and started troubleshooting. They cranked the engine over a few times to ensure it was moving freely, and then checked the fuel system and investigated the flow between all the different sections. These checks were vital in showing that the valve block on the side of the HP pump was not letting fuel through. Tolerances are extremely tight when it comes to assemblies in the fuel system, and consequently, any foreign bodies will affect performance.
The system was dismantled, and discovered that the plunger and bore showed scoring and that there was a brown residue:

This was enough to stop the valve opening to let the fuel through. As a temporary fix, the scoring and witness marks were removed using very fine grade emery cloth, but in order to prevent future problems, the valve will need to be removed and cause of the residue found.

Reported by Bartech Marine Engineering