IBIA welcomes Port of Rotterdam’s plans to mandate MFMs

According to Unni Einemo, the Director of IBIA, “this is a logical next step for the Port of Rotterdam, which introduced a license requirement for bunkering vessels operating under its jurisdiction on 1 February 2021.”

However, IBIA is very supportive of a move toward mandating MFMs not just in Rotterdam, but in all ports in the ARA region as well as other bunkering hubs around the world.

In fact, a survey created by the IBIA Bunker Licensing & MFM Working Group, which BIMCO takes part in, found strong industry support for bunker supplier licensing and more use of MFMs, which are seen as key tools for improving market conditions and reducing disputes between bunker suppliers and buyers.

The Port of Rotterdam has been working on improving conditions in its bunker market for years. The license requirement for bunkering vessels introduced in February 2021 was the outcome of a consultation process with a full range of stakeholders, both local and international, including IBIA.

IBIA also realises that mandating MFMs will be a bigger financial burden for bunker suppliers in the ARA region than it was in Singapore, where the Maritime and Port Authority provided financial support covering half the cost of installing the mass flow meters.

But estimates suggest the extra cost associated with installing an MFM per tonne of bunkers delivered is minimal. Moreover, the use of MFMs improves efficiency because it saves time compared to traditional manual measurements, thereby enabling higher supply turnover for each bunker barge.

In Singapore, they have estimated time savings ranging from one to four hours for each bunkering operation. These operational benefits and reduced manpower time, as well as time and cost savings thanks to less time and resources spent on dispute resolution, have the potential to make up for the cost of installing and certifying MFMs within a relatively short time

Ms. Einemo stated.