Bunkering Services Initiative marks start of operations across ARA region

A group of leading companies officially launched the Bunkering Services Initiative (Initiative) across Amsterdam–Rotterdam–Antwerp (ARA) ports with operations having been conducted since 1 December, according to Minerva Bunkering on Monday (15 December). 

The Initiative was first announced in July with shipping and bunkering companies teaming up to solve the widely reported issues of fuel quantity shortages and fuel quality opacity across the marine fuel supply chain.

The Initiative, which is voluntary and open to any third party, introduces a new gold standard of bunkering operations with technology-enabled, verifiable, and traceable insights into fuel quantity and quality to bring greater transparency and efficiency to participating companies and to help address long-standing problems across the industry.

Founding participants, from both the buying and supplying sides of the ARA bunker market, together account for a meaningful share of activity in the region and include: bp Marine, Cargill, Frontline, Hafnia, Hapag‑Lloyd, Mercuria, Minerva Bunkering, Oldendorff, Trafigura, TFG Marine, Unifeeder, and Vitol, as well as other significant industry players. 

Lloyd’s Register will act as system auditor carrying out checks on barges, while ADP Clear Pte Ltd will be its technology partner for multi-party workflows, real-time reporting and verifiable performance metrics.

The launch ceremony, which took place at the headquarters of Lloyd’s Register (LR) in London, marked the start of operations for a system designed to deliver “unprecedented levels” of transparency, accountability, and efficiency in one of the world’s largest marine fuel hubs. 

It was attended by representatives from the founding companies, new participants, port authorities, and other industry stakeholders, demonstrating the scale and significance of this uniquely cross-industry and collaborative approach.

Following its unveiling in July, the Initiative’s supplier participants have onboarded bunker barges, installed Internet-of-Things (IoT) enabled hardware, and had crew trained in the Initiative’s protocols and mass flow meter (MFM) operational best practices.

All bunker barges have certified MFMs installed and integrated with ADP Clear’s hardware and software to allow seamless, real-time data capture. 

Every vessel has met LR’s qualification requirements and will remain subject to unannounced compliance inspections of the MFM system, piping, and seals.

The major fuel testing companies are providing laboratory results directly into the platform providing buyers with visibility into fuel quality from every sample drawn from each parcel of fuel from shore tank through final delivery, as required by the BSI standards.

Note: Any marine fuel buyers and suppliers engaged in the ARA market and interested in participating in the Initiative can direct their inquiries to [email protected]. 

Related: Bunkering, shipping companies unite in self-regulated initiative to solve ARA marine fuel issues

Photo credit: Minerva Bunkering
Published: 16 December, 2025