Biofuel

ABS provides guidance on use of bio bunker fuels under IMO and EU regulatory framework

ABS shares background information and guidance for use of biofuel bunkers for Class, EU and IMO regulatory requirements; summarises what operators must consider in the transition to biofuels.

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

Admin

ABS provides guidance on use of bio bunker fuels under IMO and EU regulatory framework

Classification society ABS on Friday (19 January) released a regulatory news brief providing background information and guidance for the use of biofuel bunkers for Class, EU and IMO regulatory requirements as well as summarises what operators must consider in the transition to biofuels.

The following are excerpts from the brief:

INTRODUCTION

With new regulations aimed at reducing air pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs), there is increased interest in biofuels. Zero and low carbon fuels, such as hydrogen, ammonia, and biofuels with negligible sulfur can lower particulate matter, gaseous and carbon emissions. MARPOL Annex VI has dealt with the use of biofuels by fuel oil quality regulations under Regulation 18.3.2, while the ISO standard

8217 “Petroleum products – Fuels (class F) – Specifications of marine fuels” was modified in 2017 to widen tolerance for use of biofuels in existing and new fuel oil grades.

CLASS AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

Safety – SOLAS Flash Point

Liquid biofuels, or biofuel blends, intended as “drop-in” fuels to replace conventional residual or distillate fuel oils are to meet the SOLAS requirement for a flashpoint of not less than 60° C.

Safety – ISM Requirements

The IMO International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and the prevention of pollution. With respect to biofuels, the fuel supplier’s fuel specifications, Bunker Delivery Note (BDN), SDS sheets, equipment manufacturer’s

recommendations and industry stakeholder guidelines provide the basis for operators to undertake their ISM Code obligations. While there are some risks to equipment and operation with certain

biofuels, the ‘drop-in’ nature and similarity to conventional residual or distillate fuels makes application relatively simple.

Environment – MARPOL Annex VI NOx Implications

IMO fuel oil quality requirements of MARPOL Annex VI regulation 18 classify fuel oils into two main categories:

Regulation 18.3.1.1: addresses blends of hydrocarbons from petroleum refining.
Regulation 18.3.2: addresses fuel oil derived by methods other than petroleum refining.

Within the latter, Regulation 18.3.2.2 indicates that such fuel is not to cause an engine to exceed the applicable NOx emission limit. Biofuels may be considered to fall under either category since they may be a blend of bioderived product with conventional petroleum derived sources or be solely bioderived.

There have been ongoing discussions within the industry and in the IMO on how Regulation 18.3.2 should be applied to biofuels. The outcome of these discussions is a revision 8 of MEPC.1/Circ.795 “Unified Interpretations to MARPOL Annex VI” approved by the Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its eightieth session (MEPC80) which now provides a Unified Interpretation (UI) on the application of biofuels to marine engines and, in many cases, allows the use of biofuels without the need to validate the NOx impacts.

Class Requirements

All machinery and equipment intended to consume marine fuel oils are to be designed to burn all intended fuels and meet ABS’ Class requirements. However, biofuels or “biodiesels” are still liquid fuels and therefore are not a type defining parameter (please refer to ABS Marine Vessels Rules 4-2-1/13.5.2 and Table 4 “Type Defining Parameters”) of an internal combustion engine. Furthermore, not all internal combustion engines are designed for the wide variety of residual and distillate marine fuels that are available for marine application.

The suitability of the engines to burn all marine fuels is also demonstrated through the engine designer internal testing, which forms part of the manufacturer’s MARPOL Annex VI Technical File Stage A type testing. Engine type tests (and NOx certification testing) are typically undertaken on distillate grade marine fuels, and this is acceptable for all liquid fuels, under the type defining parameters, that an engine may operate on in service.

The suitability of a particular engine design to burn biofuels should be confirmed by the engine designer, who will typically issue generic guidance or provide specific acceptance of a particular biofuel. Makers have issued service letters or operational guidelines for biofuels.

Where engines are intended for burning residual fuel oils, or other special fuel oils which may be interpreted as applicable to biofuels, the suitability for that is to be demonstrated during shipboard trials as per Marine Vessels Rules 4-2-1/13.9.6.

Note: The full version of ABS Regulatory News on ‘Biofuels as Marine Fuels Under The IMO’s and EU’s Regulatory Framework’ and relevant reference links can be viewed here.

Photo credit: ABS
Published: 23 January, 2024

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Bunker Fuel

AD Ports Group and IRH Global Trading to advance bunkering at Khalifa Port

Both signed a MoU, outlining potential collaboration in bunkering services to vessels calling at Khalifa Port and the development of alternative bunker fuels such as LNG, biofuels, and methanol.

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AD Ports Group and IRH Global Trading to advance bunkering at Khalifa Port

AD Ports Group on Tuesday (30 June) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IRH Global Trading Ltd. to explore strategic cooperation in bunkering services and alternative marine fuels at Khalifa Port.

The MoU outlines potential collaboration across a range of areas, including the provision of bunkering services to vessels calling at Khalifa Port, the development of alternative fuel solutions such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), biofuels, and methanol, and the exploration of opportunities related to fuel storage infrastructure, terminal facilities, and fuel sampling and testing capabilities.

Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO, Ports Cluster – AD Ports Group, said: “This collaboration reflects our commitment to forging strategic alliances that create long-term, sustainable value.

“By working alongside trusted partners such as IRH, we are enhancing our capabilities and supporting the development of future-ready infrastructure and services that reinforce the UAE’s position as a leading global trade and logistics hub, in line with the vision of our wise leadership.”

Ali Rashed Alrashdi, Group CEO – International Resources Holding, said: “This collaboration with AD Ports Group reflects IRH’s commitment to build strategic partnerships that drive real economic impact.

“As we continue to develop our global energy trading platform, bunkering and alternative marine fuels represent a high-potential area of growth. We see Khalifa Port as an ideal base from which to explore these opportunities, and we look forward to working closely with AD Ports Group to bring them to life.”

Through this collaboration, AD Ports Group and IRH Global Trading aim to further enhance Khalifa Port’s value proposition as a multi-purpose, deep-water port that supports efficient, sustainable, and future-oriented maritime operations.

IRH Global Trading is a global commodities trading firm with interests across the mining and energy value chain and plans to build a diversified global minerals and energy trading platform, including LNG, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), crude oil, and petroleum products.

Photo credit: AD Ports Group
Published: 1 July, 2026

Biofuel

Arkas Bunker delivers 15,000 mt of biofuel in Turkey over two years

Seçkin Gül, General Manager of Arkas Bunker said during that period, the company supplied more than 15,000 mt of biofuel and achieved an emissions reduction of 14,500 mt.

Published

16 hours ago

July 1, 2026

Admin

Arkas Bunker delivers 15,000 mt of biofuel in Turkey over two years

Turkey-based marine fuel supplier Arkas Bunker on Tuesday (30 June) said it has completed 60 biofuel bunkering operations across 32 different vessel types over the past two years in the country.

Seçkin Gül, General Manager of Arkas Bunker said during that period, the company supplied more than 15,000 metric tonnes (mt) of biofuel and achieved an emissions reduction of 14,500 mt.

He said this during the Biofuels in Shipping seminar held in Istanbul, where the company and DB Tarımsal Enerji addressed the use of biofuels in shipping through the lenses of sustainability, technical compatibility, regulations, and field experience.

“The transition to low-carbon fuels in shipping is no longer a long-term goal—it is today’s priority. At Arkas Bunker, we view biofuel not merely as an environmental alternative, but as a solution that is compatible with existing vessel infrastructure, proven in real-world operations, and supportive of the sector’s compliance with regulations, Gül said.

Drawing attention to the growing role of carbon intensity in vessel operations, Gül stated: “Carbon cost will increasingly influence a wide range of areas—from fuel selection to route planning, and from customer preferences to financing conditions.

“For this reason, access to low-carbon fuels will not only be an environmental responsibility for the maritime sector, but also a key component of commercial competitiveness. Strengthening Türkiye’s capabilities in production, supply, and bunkering, as well as strengthening collaboration among producers, suppliers, and end-users, is of great importance for regional competitiveness.”

The seminar also highlighted Turkey’s potential to become a regional supply hub for low-carbon marine fuels.

“With its strategic geographic location, strong port infrastructure, advanced logistics network, maritime expertise, and domestic biofuel production capacity, Türkiye is well positioned to play a significant role across Mediterranean, Black Sea, and European trade routes,” the companies said.

Photo credit: Arkas Bunker
Published: 1 July, 2026

Alternative Fuels

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: B100 premiums narrow for Singapore-EU voyages

Rotterdam B100 over $100/mt costlier than HSFO; Rotterdam LBM discounts to LSMGO widen; B100 premium over LSMGO drops to $39/mt in Singapore.

Published

2 days ago

June 30, 2026

Admin

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: B100 premiums narrow for Singapore-EU voyages

Once a week, bunker intelligence platform ENGINE will publish a snapshot of alternative and conventional bunker fuel prices in the world’s two biggest bunkering hubs. The following is the latest snapshot:

Rotterdam B100 over $100/mt costlier than HSFO
Rotterdam LBM discounts to LSMGO widen
B100 premium over LSMGO drops to $39/mt in Singapore

Rotterdam B100’s premium over HSFO has widened by a further $35/mt to $103/mt over the past week.

On the other hand, its discounts to VLSFO and LSMGO have widened by $8/mt and $25/mt to $26/mt and $266/mt, respectively.

Singapore’s B100 has dropped slightly relative to conventional fuels. Its premiums over HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO have narrowed by $16-25/mt over the past week to $39-408/mt.

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: B100 premiums narrow for Singapore-EU voyages

LNG premiums over liquefied biomethane (LBM) in Rotterdam have widened by $15/mt to $440-447/mt.

Rotterdam’s LBM discounts to LSMGO have widened by $56-58/mt to $595-796/mt, depending on the engine type.

Liquid fuels

Rotterdam’s HSFO price has fallen by $41/mt over the past week. Its VLSFO has edged up by $2/mt, while its LSMGO price has increased by $19/mt.

The port’s B100 has edged down by $7/mt. Dutch ZRE A ticket prices have remained unchanged for a third consecutive week amid a “lack of reported trades,” Prima Markets has noted.

Singapore’s conventional fuel prices have declined by $36-45/mt over the past week, while its B100 benchmark has fallen by a larger $61/mt

The port’s monthly B100 sales doubled from 6,500 mt in April to 13,000 mt in May, according to preliminary data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam’s LNG prices have declined by $23-24/mt in the past week, driven largely by a 7% decline in LNG bunker premiums, which dropped from $134/mt to $125/mt. The front-month Dutch TTF Natural Gas contract has fallen by 2%, adding further downward pressure to LNG bunker prices.

Rotterdam’s LBM prices have fallen by $37-39/mt.

Singapore’s LNG prices have edged up by $8-9/mt. Resurging tensions in the Middle East, a Qatari gas facility explosion and rising LNG demand in Asia have added upward pressure on the prices.

LNG sales in Singapore jumped from 42,000 mt in April to a record 70,000 mt in May.

By Konica Bhatt

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 30 June, 2026