Business

IBIA replies to Clean Arctic Alliance in open letter on black carbon emissions

Suggests upcoming IMO Pollution Prevention and Response Sub-Committee to be ‘the most effective forum’ to progress Dr Prior’s debate.

Published

6 years ago

February 3, 2020

Admin

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) on Friday (3 February) released an open letter in response to a recent public enquiry made by Dr Sian Prior, lead advisor, Clean Arctic Alliance:

Dear Dr Prior,

Thank you for your letter dated 23 January.

First, please be assured that the co-authors listed below fully support IMO’s emissions reduction and de-carbonisation programmes and have been working extremely hard with their members and colleagues at IMO and elsewhere to ensure the environmental footprint of shipping and its associated services continues to reduce.

Please note that our Joint Industry Guidance: The supply and use of 0.50% – sulphur marine fuel (JIG) (JIG) was produced in August 2019 to address the safe handling and use of the new fuels that ship operators were expected to use post 1 January 2020 to comply with IMO’s 0.50% sulphur requirement. It was limited to operational aspects only and was developed to support suppliers, ship managers and seafarers prepare and implement the use of 0.50% sulphur fuels as safely as possible. Our document was wholly safety related and did not investigate or comment on any other issue.

Among the key points we identified in the JIG were that these 0.50% sulphur fuels were expected to be much more variable in terms of composition and characteristics than had been experienced previously. In your letter, you refer to fuels with a high aromatic content that show a potential link with black carbon emissions. We expected there to be a greater tendency for 0.50% sulphur fuels to be more paraffinic – not aromatic – in nature. The information available since the introduction of the 0.50% sulphur limit on 1 January 2020, suggests our expectations have been generally correct.

To conclude, we fully agree that all black carbon related submissions (including the joint submission from Finland and Germany to IMO dated before the introduction of the 0.50% sulphur limit) should be reviewed thoroughly and seriously by the international fuel oil supply and shipping community. The upcoming IMO Pollution Prevention and Response Sub-Committee is the most effective forum to progress that debate. It would not be appropriate for us to pre-empt the conclusions from that discussion.

Thank you for getting in touch.

The African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARA)

International Association of Classification Societies (IACS)

International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA)

International Council on Combustion Engines (CIMAC)

Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST)

IPIECA

Japan Petroleum Energy Center (JPEC)

Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF)

The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA)

The ‘open letter’ written by Dr Sian Prior, lead advisor, Clean Arctic Alliance can be downloaded here.

Photo credit: IBIA
Published: 3 February, 2020

Winding up

Singapore: Notice of intended dividend issued for Xihe Holdings’ subsidiaries

Creditors will need to produce proofs of debt to liquidators of Da Xin Tankers and Nan Chiau Maritime by 5 August, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

9 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

Two notices to declare the intended dividend of Xihe Holdings’ subsidiaries to their creditors have been posted on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (22 July).

The subsidiaries are Da Xin Tankers Pte Ltd and Nan Chiau Maritime Pte Ltd.

The following are the details of the notices of intended dividend:

Name of Company : Da Xin Tankers (Pte) Ltd (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 198400895W
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 August 2026 at 5:00 pm by email to [email protected]
Name of Liquidators : Paresh Tribhovan Jotangia and Ho May Kee
Address : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Name of Company : Nan Chiau Maritime (Pte.) Ltd. (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No.: 200814296Z
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 August 2026 at 5:00 pm by email to [email protected]
Name of Liquidators : Paresh Tribhovan Jotangia and Ho May Kee
Address : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 23 July, 2026

Biofuel

South Korea: S-Oil launches B30-VLSFO bio bunker fuel supply

Company says it has established an integrated operating system in the Ulsan region covering the entire value chain, from feedstock procurement and blending to supply.

Published

9 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

South Korea: S-Oil launches B30-VLSFO bio bunker fuel supply

South Korean petroleum and refining company S-Oil on Wednesday (22 July) said it has started supplying B30 very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), as the company seeks to support shipping’s decarbonisation efforts and growing demand for lower-carbon bunker fuels.

The company said its B30 VLSFO contains 30% sustainable biofuel blended with conventional VLSFO and can be used without requiring modifications to existing vessels, enabling shipowners to comply more readily with emissions regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU).

S-Oil said it has established an integrated operating system in the Ulsan region covering the entire value chain, from feedstock procurement and blending to supply. The system combines VLSFO produced at its Onsan refinery with biofuel production facilities and storage infrastructure in the Ulsan region, allowing the entire process to be carried out within a single logistics hub.

According to the company, the integrated supply chain reduces transportation requirements during production while improving supply efficiency and reliability.

S-Oil also highlighted Ulsan Port as a strategic location for marine biofuel supply, noting the port has strong demand for bio-bunker fuels, particularly from car carriers, enabling prompt and stable deliveries to key customers.

An S-Oil official stated: “In the bio-marine fuel market, not only product quality but also securing a stable supply of raw materials and an efficient supply system are important competitive advantages.

“Based on our existing bunkering business capabilities and the excellent supply infrastructure in the Onsan area, we plan to supply stable and competitive low-carbon fuel.”

Photo credit: S-Oil
Published: 23 July, 2026

Decarbonisation

Yang Ming and PSA to develop integrated sea-land decarbonisation solutions

Both will explore solutions spanning emissions measurement and verification, a digital Book-and-Claim framework, and a joint maritime-land inset token package.

Published

9 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

Yang Ming and PSA to develop integrated sea-land decarbonisation solutions

PSA International (PSA) on Monday (20 July) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) to jointly accelerate the adoption of low-carbon solutions across the maritime value chain.

Beyond emissions measurement and verification, the collaboration will focus on a digital Book-and-Claim framework and a joint maritime-land based inset token package.

“This synergy provides cargo stakeholders with a transparent and accountable sea-land pathway to achieve their decarbonisation targets,” PSA said on its website.

Yang Ming launched the green transport service, EcoSea+. This initiative integrates Yang Ming’s low-carbon navigation capabilities to empower customers with a flexible and transparent strategy to effectively reduce their Scope 3 transportation emissions. By joining forces with PSA, Yang Ming is able to expand the impact of these sustainability actions beyond the ocean.

Building on its position as a global port operator, PSA advances its Node to Network strategy through integrated port and supply chain capabilities that enable a green network of terminal and landside operations to reduce end-to-end supply chain emissions.

The agreement was officially signed by Mr Ivan Chiang, Chief Logistics Officer & Senior Vice President of Yang Ming, and Mr Eddy Ng, Group Head of Operations, Technology and Sustainability of PSA International.

Mr Ong Kim Pong, PSA International Group CEO, said, “As responsible stewards of tomorrow, PSA is committed to delivering sustainable impact across the global port and supply chain ecosystem.

“Tackling the challenges arising from climate change will require the collective efforts of all players in the maritime supply chain sector. We are excited to partner Yang Ming on the decarbonisation of global supply chains and support the transition towards a more sustainable global economy.”

Photo credit: PSA International
Published: 23 July, 2026