International Bunker Industry Association News

Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…

Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…

IBIA – International Bunker Industry Association Board announced the outcome of their elections at the IBIA Annual General Meeting (AGM), ahead of the IBIA Annual Dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane.A total of eleven candidates stood for election for the four available Board positions. Following the close of voting, it is confirmed that the following candidates have been elected/re-elected to serve a three-year term on the IBIA Board:Claudia Beumer, C4 fuel B.V.Gianmichele Campanella…

This week MarineLink reported that the Global Ethanol Association (GEA) has officially launched as an independent, non-profit international organization headquartered in Switzerland.GEA’s first flagship program is the Marine Fuel Sector Initiative, an industry led effort to transform ethanol’s market potential into commercial reality and establish it as a cornerstone of the sustainable marine fuel mix.Sylvain Zurcher, Co-Founder & President of the GEA, notes that the US is one of the world’s largest ethanol producers with strong infrastructure already in place.

There were no major breakthroughs in the on-going discussions about a universal levy at the IMO's Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 18) last week. Any GHG emissions pricing mechanism is going to mean big change for the industry, and a lot of different sectors within shipping will be impacted.InterManager has pointed out, in a paper submitted to the next meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC83 in April)…

World Fuel Services has announced that John Stirling, the company’s Director, Marine Technical, has accepted a key position at CIMAC, the International Council on Power, Drives and Propulsion. He will take over the vacant position of Secretary of CIMAC’s WG7 working group.The association has recently refocused from providing a technical forum for conventional diesel engine expertise, to include all new types of energy, and is now a fully pledged alternative energy association…

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has appointed Alexander Prokopakis as its new Executive Director.Joining the IBIA team on September 1 with Edmund Hughes, the recently appointed IBIA IMO Representative, Prokopakis will be instrumental in navigating the association through the evolving challenges and opportunities in the marine fuel industry.Well-regarded within the IBIA community, he brings a strong background of active association membership. His recent leadership…

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) announced the appointment of Dr. Edmund Hughes as its International Maritime Organization (IMO) Representative, effective from September 1, 2023. Dr. Hughes will succeed Unni Einemo.A prominent figure in the maritime community, many will recognize Edmund for his pivotal role as the Head of Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency in the Marine Environment Division at the IMO. His tenure there played a significant part in developing MARPOL Annex VI…

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and methanol consulting firm Green Marine have signed a cooperation agreement to develop a methanol bunkering training program, with support from the Methanol Institute.The cooperation agreement aims to ensure bunker tanker crews and bunker surveyors are competent and ready for methanol bunkering on a larger scale. The plan is to commence the training in Singapore first and expanding globally in 2024.“Through strategic training and partnerships…

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has submitted proposals to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 107) which will be meeting later this week in a bid to improve understanding and workability of new flashpoint regulations for fuel oil.MSC 107 will meet from 31 May to 9 June and will continue discussion on an agenda item for the development of further measures to enhance the safety of ships relating to the use of fuel oil. In essence, the aim is to introduce increased control on the supply of bunker fuels.

Global demand for marine fuels is expected to fall by up to 17% due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on world trade, setting the stage for more consolidation among bunker suppliers, an industry executive told a conference on Wednesday.Banks scaled back on their commodities trade finance after the coronavirus crisis led to defaults by some trading houses and exposed a series of frauds, leaving small and medium-sized firms most exposed.Unni Einemo, director of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), said firms were contending with low demand, low margins, ample supplies, i

(This is excerpted from Maritime Reporter & Engineering News' January 2020 "The Path to Zero" column.)Are the world’s ships’ engines ready for IMO compliant very low sulfur fuel? That’s a wide open question as ship owners step to the end of the preparatory gang-plank on January 1, 2020 when 0.5% very low sulfur distillate fuels (VLSF) have to replace residual heavy fuel oil (HFO) containing 3.5% sulfur.You might think that given the length of time to prepare – since 2008 – shipping experts and engineers would have a clearer picture about new fuels and marine engines and operability.

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and price-reporting agency S&P Global Platts are to work together to help market participants across the shipping ecosystem prepare ahead of the implementation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) low sulfur marine fuel regulations in January 2020.Unni Einemo, Director of IBIA and its representative at the IMO said: "We are very pleased to work with S&P Global Platts in bringing industry stakeholders the tools they need to manage the transition to IMO 2020."Unni added: "IBIA has been heavily engaged in working at the IMO to help develop guidelines for effective implementation…

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has welcome a decision by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) to add a new item to its agenda to address concerns about fuel safety, separating the subject from discussions around the implementation of the new 0.50% sulphur limit under  the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI.According to an IBIA release, the decision was made at the 100th session of MSC held at IMO’s London headquarters in the first week of December. It followed discussion of a proposal put forward by Liberia and a group of shipping organisations to bring all fuel safety related requirements of regulation 18 of MARPOL Annex VI under MSC…

Maritime Blockchain Labs has announced the real-world testing phase for technology solution that enhances traceability and trust in bunker fuel supply chain. Maritime Blockchain Labs (MBL), a partnership set up between Lloyd’s Register Foundation and BLOC to explore the use of blockchain for the assurance and safety of critical infrastructure and drive new business models for the global maritime industry, announced today that its first demonstrator project, a fuel provenance register for the maritime sector that aims to provide trusted information about fuel origin…

International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) is continuing its efforts for IMO to adopt guidelines ahead of 2020 that will promote a uniform approach to fuel oil testing and reporting protocol for the verification of compliance with MARPOL Annex VI sulphur limits. Earlier this year, IBIA submitted two papers to the 5th session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 5) proposing a way ahead on sulphur testing and compliance verification. Both papers will be forwarded to a PPR intersessional working group (ISWG) taking place at the IMO in July. In PPR 5/12/1, IBIA proposes establishing appropriate guidelines for verifying the sulphur content in fuel oil samples taken from ships’ fuel systems (in-use samples).

The new ‘Sulfur 2020 – Options Evaluator’ from Lloyd’s Register (LR) aims to help the industry identify the best strategy for compliance with the global sulfur in fuel oil limit of 0.50 percent m/m, which comes into effect on January 1, 2020.According to LR, the ‘Options Evaluator’ aims to bring clarity to what the potential cost and investment implications could be for the various compliance strategies, such as transition from fuel oil to marine gasoil (MGO), use of scrubbers…

BIMCO’s Documentary Committee approved a new set of standard bunker terms, developed by a cross-industry group, in New York on 2 May. The BIMCO Bunker Terms 2018 improve on the previous edition with a maximum limit of the parties’ liabilities – a key change that will lead to wider adoption of the contract. “I think it is a positive step for the industry that representatives for the bunker traders and shipowners have agreed on a standard set of terms, which both parties consider fair and balanced,” says Francis Sarre, Chair of the BIMCO Documentary Committee. The trader representatives who helped draft the contract together account for 25% of the total bunker volume sold globally, which BIMCO sees as a very strong sign of support for the final result.

Following the successful completion of test-bedding the use of mass flow metering (MFM) system for delivery of distillates , the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will extend the mandatory use of MFM to all bunker tankers delivering distillates1 in the Port of Singapore from 1 July 2019. Assistant Chief Executive (Operations) of MPA, Capt M Segar said this at the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) Asia Gala Dinner held last night (26 April 2018). The use of the MFM system will enhance transparency in the bunkering process, improve operational efficiency and increase the productivity of the bunkering industry.

Singapore's Maritime Port Authority (MPA) is set to announce it is making use of mass-flow-meters (MFM) mandatory onboard marine gasoil barges used to refuel large ships, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The announcement will be made at a gala dinner in the city state organised by the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) later on Thursday, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. It wasn't immediately clear from which date the MPA will enforce the use of MFMs - designed to minimise inaccuracies and errors in measuring quantities delivered - on gasoil bunker barges. The people with knowledge of the matter said the date was likely to be either Jan. 1 or July 1 next year.

Whether you choose distillates, liquefied natural gas (LNG) or scrubbers to meet the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) fuel regulations in 2020, it will be ever more critical to regularly monitor the condition of vital equipment to ensure there is no adverse affect on operational efficiency. Industry opinion ahead of the implementation of the 2020 global sulphur cap remains fragmented to say the least. With only a relatively short timeframe remaining before ship owners will be facing the reality of compliance…

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) believes the benefits achieved from adopting mandatory use of Mass Flow Meters (MFMs) for marine fuel oil deliveries in Singapore must be protected by effective enforcement, and that using approved MFMs to measure quantity being loaded onto bunker tankers as well as that delivered to ship would address a missing link in supply chain integrity. The Singapore regulation that came into effect on 1 January 2017 was widely perceived to be a significant step forward in promoting greater transparency and ensuring the accuracy of delivered tonnage in the port, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

ABS, a provider of classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, held its annual Hellenic National Committee meeting in Athens, Greece in June. “As the recognized classification leader in Greece, we bring together the best and brightest industry leaders for transparent, robust and engaging conversation related to key industry issues,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. The committee meeting provides a forum for ABS Members…