IMO has issued circular MEPC.1/Circ.917, which provides interim guidance on the carriage of biofuel blends and MARPOL Annex I cargoes by conventional bunker ships.
As stated, the guidance permits the transport of blends of not more than 30% by volume of biofuel, providing all residues or tank washings are discharged ashore unless the oil discharge monitoring equipment (ODME) is approved/certified for the biofuel blend(s) being shipped.
The interim guidelines also confirm that an IOPP certificate showing “oil tanker” issued to a conventional bunker ship carrying blends between 25% and 30% biofuel or synthetic fuel does not need to be modified.
Approved biofuels include:
- Tert-Amyl ethyl ether
- Ethyl alcohol
- Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)
- Vegetable fatty acid distillates
Rules for biofuel blends (According to MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.17)
If a biofuel blend contains more than 1% but less than 75% of oil-based cargo (as per MARPOL Annex I), it must follow the rules under MARPOL Annex II and the IBC Code (Chapter 17).
Transporting energy-rich fuels (As per MEPC.1/Circ.879)
If a fuel blend contains 75% or more of energy-rich fuels (from biological or non-petroleum sources like algae, vegetable oil, or hydrotreated vegetable oils), it can be carried on conventional bunker ships under MARPOL Annex I.
Biofuel definitions and emission rules (From MEPC.1/Circ.795/Rev.9)
Fuel blends with up to 30% biofuel or synthetic fuel must meet regular fuel oil requirements under MARPOL Annex VI.
Biofuels are defined as fuels made from biomass, such as:
- Used cooking oils
- FAME or FAEE
- Straight vegetable oils (SVO)
- Hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO)
- Glycerol
- Biomass-to-liquid (BTL) fuels
These fuels must also meet NOx emission standards.
