Legal

2020: BIMCO submits draft for vessels unable to get compliant fuel

‘Difficult predictions’ for the availability of compliant fuel, particularly outside of big bunkering ports.

Published

8 years ago

July 9, 2018

Admin

Manifold Times is publishing the third of five articles attributed to BIMCO in regards to five IMO-submissions the latter co-wrote to IMO last week:

BIMCO drafts standard documentation for ships unable to get compliant fuel in 2020

BIMCO has drafted a standard form which can provide documentation for shipowners unable to buy compliant fuel in a port. The standard will be discussed at the Intersessional meeting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in July.

BIMCO submitted the draft standard to IMO together with CLIA, ICS, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, Panama and WSC.

The standard Fuel Oil Non-Availability Report (FONAR) should provide documentation that every effort to obtain compliant fuel was made before bunkering non-compliant fuel.

It is important to stress that the FONAR will not work as an excuse for not doing the utmost to obtain compliant fuel. The FONAR should document that everything possible actually has been done, and can be verified by the authorities.

The draft standard is part of BIMCO’s and the co-sponsor’s efforts to ensure a practical implementation of the 2020 sulphur cap. The format is inspired by other similar documents currently used in the U.S. and the EU.

The form allows the ship to, for example, describe any operational constraints that prevented the ship from using available compliant fuel oil, such as issues with non-compliant flashpoints.

Difficult predictions
The availability of compliant fuel – particularly outside of the big bunkering ports – is currently one of the big uncertainties before the sulphur cap enters into force on 1 January 2020. A clear process for reporting non-availability will therefore be of great benefit to ships and shipowners.

“At the time of this writing, fuel oils with a maximum content of 0.50% m/m are not widely available or introduced to the market. It is therefore not possible, at this stage, to precisely predict quality parameters and limits for these fuel oils,” the co-sponsors write in the submission.

Shipowners may, for example, get fuel oil, which complies with the low sulphur requirements, but doesn’t comply with other fuel oil parameters.

The co-sponsors agree that ships will be expected to bunker and use other compliant
fuels including 0.1% sulphur distillates, in cases where 0.5% sulphur compliant
fuels are unavailable, according to the submission.

However, the ships will also have to carefully consider, on a case by case, if the ship can safely store, process and consume the fuel, and whether they need to clean their tanks of all residual fuels, before they load non-compatible alternatives to the same tank.

Photo credit: International Maritime Organization
Published: 9 July, 2018

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Published

17 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July).

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions.

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Published

17 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd issues notice of dividend

Third interim dividend to admitted unsecured claims of Nan Shan Maritime is payable from 15 July, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

6 days ago

July 16, 2026

Admin

A notice of dividend for Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd, which is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, was published on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (15 July).

The following are the details of the notice:

Name of Company : Nan Shan Maritime (Pte.) Ltd.(In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201701967H
Address of Registered Office : 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Amount per centum : 5.00 Per Centum of all admitted unsecured, claims
First and Final or Otherwise : Third Interim
When Payable : 15 July 2026
Where Payable : Entitlements will be made by way of cheque.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 16 July, 2026