In response to a call from IMO, IBIA has issued a ‘Best practice guidance for suppliers for assuring the quality of bunkers delivered to ships’. The guidance represents the first time a concerted effort has been made to address procedures to safeguard and maintain bunker fuel quality control throughout the entire supply chain.
During his presentation at the last GREEN4SEA Conference, Mr. David Nichol, Senior Loss Prevention Executive at Thomas Miller (Hellas) Ltd., focused on bunker spills, examining their root causes and what loss prevention measures can be implemented to combat them. Mr. Nichol noted that spills into the marine environment relating to bunkering operations continue to occur with worrying regularity.
Singapore-based BW Group issued a short film explaining the background with respect to use of Mass Flow Meters, which are considered to bring change in bunkering process within an environment of increasing operational challenges. From 1 January 2017, the Port of Singapore became the first in the world to mandate the use of MFM.
According to IBIA CEO Justin Murphy, as quoted at IBIA’s Annual Convention in Singapore, there is compelling evidence that ethical businesses are more profitable than others. It pays to do the right thing, and there are numerous other benefits.
Ocean Bunkering Services Pte Ltd announced it will add five bunker barges to its fleet by early January, in line with its plans to expand in Singaporean marine refueling market, currently the largest in the world.
The introduction of mandatory use of mass flow metering systems in Singapore that came into effect from 1 January 2017 has had a profound impact a positive impact on bunkering volumes with Singapore on track to break its 2017 record of 48.6 million tonnes in 2017, IBIA informed.
Speakers at IBIA’s Annual Convention in Singapore demonstrated quite different views on the level of compliance with the 0.5% sulphur limit the industry can expect in 2020 and beyond, while most of the delegates voting in a poll on the subject thinks it will take a few years before compliance is above 80%.
The time has come to apply for renewal of CLC, Bunker, Athens and Wreck Removal Certificates from the DMA. The certificates must be renewed once a year when the underlying insurance expires.
Marine bunker suppliers should anticipate that there may no longer be significant demand for fossil fuels from shipping within as little as 25 years, if not sooner, and that the sector is now on an inevitable trajectory towards a future of zero CO2 emissions, ICS noted.
Ulsan Port Authority, from South Korea, updated its incentive scheme for tanker vessels which are using its facility, in an attempt to comply with stricter marine fuel regulation that are expected to come into force in 2020.
