IBIA sets up new standard for suppliers to help better develop an IMO guidance. Following its participation in the IMO’s efforts, the first edition of IBIA’s, “Best practice guidance for suppliers for assuring the quality of bunkers delivered to ships” was welcomed by the 72nd session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 72) last week, which was regarded as a good basis for the development of IMO guidance, reports IBIA.
Efforts on developing an IMO draft
The IMO Correspondence Group on Fuel oil quality (CG) has been working on developing draft guidance on best practice for assuring the quality of fuel oil delivered for use on board ships.
It all started with an objective to produce a trinity of such guidance documents: one for bunker purchasers/users; one for bunker suppliers; and one for Member States/coastal States. However, at MEPC 69, the CG’s work on best practice for suppliers was paused and the Committee agreed that IMO should encourage the supply industry to develop a best practice document and present it to MEPC in due course.
Another CG’s document, MEPC 72, was shared with BIA’s IMO representative, Unni Einemo last week, who regarded it as the best practice guidance for bunker suppliers, to ensure that the quality of bunkers delivered to ships meets the agreed purchase specifications and applicable global and local regulations.
Quality of supply chain
While the vast majority of bunkers agreed to meet on this requirement, quality can be unintentionally adulterated at various stages in the supply chain. The underlying principle when developing IBIA’s guidance was to identify and mitigate quality risks at all stages from the production of bunkers to delivery to ship.
IBIA proposed that our paper could form the base document if the Committee wished to have a trinity of IMO best practice guidance document with regards to fuel quality. There was broad consensus that this was desirable and that IBIA’s document should form the basis for developing the IMO guidance for suppliers.
Small disagreements
Several member states complemented IBIA’s best practice document, however, some raised concerns about our document making references to ISO 4259 in the chapter on testing and interpretation of test results, arguing that only appendix VI of MARPOL Annex VI (sulphur verification procedures’ for the MARPOL sample) should be referenced.
There is also resistance to making references to ISO standards in the chapter on representative sampling, as many believe only the IMO Guidelines in Resolution MEPC.182(59) for taking the MARPOL sample should be referenced.
However, MEPC 72 has agreed to use IBIA’s best practice document as the basis, and also invites member states and organisations with observer status to submit their comments to it to MEPC 73 (October 2018) at the IMO, so that development of an IMO best practice guidance can progress at that session.
Additional issues addressed
MEPC 73 will also discuss a better draft for Member States/coastal States developed by the IMO Correspondence Group on Fuel oil quality, in which IBIA also participates.
IBIA once again calls on our members to implement the best practices and let us know how workable it is. We are open to revising the document in due course in response to constructive feedback and evolving needs.
IMO expects feeback
In light of the document now also forming the basis to develop IMO guidance, industry feedback is essential. A copy of IBIA’s best practice guidance for bunker suppliers is available on this link.
On a separate note, the draft best practice for bunker purchasers/users, which IBIA co-sponsored with ICS and INTERTANKO, was approved at MEPC 72 last week, with only minor amendments made.
This will be issued along with an MEPC circular asking IMO Member Governments to bring it to the attention of their Administration, industry, relevant shipping organisations, shipping companies and other stakeholders.
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Source: IBIA
