Tag: IBIA

The introduction of the 0.50% Global Sulphur Cap is drawing near, and discussions are loud around the availability of compliant fuel and whether implementation will take place in 2020 or 2025. Very little attention is being paid to how it will be enforced. The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and the Trident Alliance share serious concerns about the future enforcement of the Global Sulphur Cap and are now joining forces to work together on this important issue

IBIA appointed new board members and set priorities for the future. During its 23rd annual dinner, IBIA highlighting that a 0.5% global sulphur cap by 2020 would lead to shortages of compliant fuels.

IBIA has announced that it will be holding its annual industry-wide convention, in Gibraltar from the 8th-11th November 2016.

 IBIA has held its annual industry-wide convention, with Chairman Jens Maul Jorgensen, calling for ‘open and honest discussions’ The 2015 Convention which ran from 2-6 November and attracted over 100 delegates was held in Cancun, Mexico. It started with two days of industry training, with courses on the bunker industry and disputes, delivered in both Spanish and English reflecting the theme of the event ‘The Americas: A Continent of Opportunities’.Cancun was chosen as the location because of its growing bunker business potential. Mexico is a significant producer of crude and refined products, but regulation has hampered the development of the bunker sales market. However, new reforms being pushed through now offer many opportunities for private companies to own and operate bunkering facilities.Fuel quality was unsurprisingly a hot topic. Michael Green, Intertek Shipcare’s technical manager told delegates that fuel sample testing results indicated that fuel quality had increased significantly since the introduction of the 0.10% sulphur in fuel limit for ships in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in January this year. Increased use of distillates and hybrid fuels meant that residual fuels are still important to the industry, but the most dramatic change had been the almost complete disappearance of 1.000% sulphur fuels.However, ...

 The Government of Mauritius has taken the next steps to develop its capital and largest city Port Louis into a global bunkering hub that will be able to export 1million metric tons of bunker fuel and ultimately employ 25,000 people across the marine industry.The Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands spoke at the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) conference held in Port Louis on 13th to 15th October and outlined the government’s ambitions for this growing business sector.Each year 35,000 ships transit the waters around Mauritius moving between Asia, Southern Africa and South America and over the last few years, the number of ships taking on bunker fuel in Port Louis has been increasing.Last year the volume supplied rose from 269,324 metric tons in 2013 to 287,546 metric tons in 2014, an increase of around 6.8%. However, this figure represents just 30% of the government’s short term goal of 1 million metric tons of bunker exports per year.To support this growth the government has embarked on an ambitious plan to transform the port into a business friendly, industry leading petroleum and bunkering hub. The bunker trade has been liberalised, with government incentives provided through the reduction and removal ...

  The special relationship that the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) enjoys with Singapore’s Maritime & Port Authority (MPA) was underlined at the annual IBIA Asia dinner. Singapore is a signatory to IBIA’s Port Charter designed to raise bunkering standards by requiring signatories to operate a licensing scheme for bunker suppliers, enforce regulations covering bunkering operations, have a testing regime in place, and have appropriately qualified professionals involved in the supply chain. Held at The Fullerton Hotel and attended by 280 guests including the MPA’s Assistant Chief Executive Captain M Segar, the dinner was hosted by IBIA in Asia, Exco Chairman Douglas Raitt and came at the end of a very successful Singapore Maritime Week. Guest speaker at the event Jens Maul Jorgensen, IBIA board Chairman noted that more suppliers are using ISO 2010 specs but called on all refiners, traders and suppliers to use the latest specs. Jens Maul Jorgensen IBIA Chairman addressing the dinners said: “The latest specs are not too expensive for owners. It’s a problem we don’t have any more because oil prices have dropped by almost 50% and with prices around $340 per mt. There are no excuses, refiners don’t benefit when they blend the ...

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has proposed that the sulphur verification procedure described in appendix VI to MARPOL Annex VI should be reviewed. The argument was put to the second meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) sub-committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 2), which met IMO headquarters in London this week. “Sulphur testing is not an exact science. In commercial transactions, buyers and sellers rely on ISO 4259 for the interpretation of sulphur test results. This provides a statistically sound approach to the fact that there are inherent variations in fuel test results,” IBIA’s representative at the IMO, John De Rose, told PPR on Monday. “At present, there is a conflict between the commercial application of ISO 4259 for the interpretation of sulphur test results, and the verification procedure described in appendix VI to MARPOL Annex VI. This has the unfortunate consequence that ship operators risk receiving fuel that is regarded as within the sulphur specification in a commercial situation, but could fail the IMO’s verification procedure.” IBIA’s proposal was put to PPR 2 as a comment paper in connection with a separate proposal by IMarEST to change the text of the supplier’s declaration on the bunker delivery ...

The Port of Gibraltar will be showcasing its bunkering and marine services at the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) Regional Forum on 24-27 February. The forum, which takes place at Gibraltar’s Sunborn Hotel, will include a workshop on bunkering; a session focusing on mega yacht and leisure services; an overview of bunkering in the Mediterranean as well as updates on IMO’s steps to improve fuel quality, IBIA’s port charter initiative, visits to bunkering barges and a reception at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. Speakers include representatives from Peninsular Petroleum, World Fuel Services, Intertanko, Vopak, Vemaoil and Aegean. The Gibraltar Straits is a key European bunkering location with Alegerciras, Cueta, Tanger Med and Gibraltar collectively making up the largest supply hub in the Mediterranean. IBIA Chief Executive Peter Hall said: “Gibraltar is one of Europe’s key bunkering hubs and holding our regional event here gives us an opportunity to show what IBIA is doing to help improve fuel quality, and through our training, help raise standards. We’ve put together an event to both educate and inform on the latest bunkering issues, which mixes the theoretical, practical and of course the social.” Gibraltar is a signatory to IBIA’s Port Charter ...

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has accredited the International Bunker Industry's (IBIA) new Mass Flow Meter course. The course, which is next being held 17-18 November in Singapore, provides in depth information about mass flow meters; how to install and use them and looks at legislative, calibration and accuracy issues. The announcement was made at the IBIA Annual Convention in Hamburg this week. In April this year the MPA was the world's first port authority to introduce mandatory mass flow meter system for its bunker suppliers. Mass flow meters measure the flow rate of fluid and allow for greater efficiency, accuracy and transparency in the bunkering industry. The process of dipping tanks and measuring temperatures and volume to convert to mass calculations are prone to variances, and can lead to inaccurate determination of quantity, which can in turn lead to disputes. The enforcement will ensure the customer receives the quantity they have purchased. IBIA Chief Executive Peter Hall said: "This is the latest in our range of professional training courses for the bunkering industry. Ultimately, the use of mass flow meter will result in a smoother bunker transaction landscape with less commercial disputes, shorter delivery times and a ...

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) called on the world’s ports to sign up to a Port Charter scheme to improve bunkering standards. Signatories to the IBIA Port Charter will be required to demonstrate that they have a licensing scheme for bunker suppliers in their port; that they are able to regulate and enforce their regulations covering bunkering operations; that there are sufficient qualified personnel working in the bunker supply chain and that they have effective testing regimes in place. Launching the scheme at the IBIA Annual Convention in Hamburg, IBIA Chairman Jens Maul Jorgensen said: “IBIA believes that partnerships with ports to deliver “Quality, Quantity and Transparency” are a key element in delivering a robust fuel supply chain. As changes occur going forward with new fuels and variants designed to meet compliance, we need now more than ever to be vigilant in ensuring quality is maintained. It would be a great day for maritime commerce and the bunker industry if the perception that the quality of bunkers was habitually “poor” or “bad” was consigned to history.” The IBIA Port Charter already has the support of the ports of Rotterdam, Gibraltar and Singapore. Welcoming IBIA’s move Roland van Assche, Director ...