New statutory Tanker requirements – ODME type-approved for Bio-fuel Blends
A Bio-fuel blends consist of two major parts.
- A bio-fuel part, which is considered to be a chemical subject under MARPOL Annex II and the IBC Code, and
- A petroleum part, which is subject to MARPOL Annex I.
One example is a mixture of ethanol and gasoline. For bio-fuel blends, a cut-off limit of 75% has been agreed on, determining the regime to which the blend is subject – MARPOL Annex I or Annex II, ie, if the petroleum part is 75% or more, the blend is considered to be an oil governed by MARPOL Annex I. Up to now, bio-fuel blends have been allowed to be shipped under MARPOL Annex I without the ODME being type-approved for the specific blend. This has been considered alright as long as the resulting slop has been delivered ashore to a reception facility.
However, as of 1 January 2016, this is no longer an option. From this date, in order to still ship a bio-fuel blend under Annex I, a non-compliant ODME has to be upgraded or replaced and the blend in question should be included in the new type-approval certificate.
Source: DNV GL
