Business

IBIA: IMO sub-committee accepts use of electronic BDNs after long discussion

IBIA reported an IMO sub-committee has agreed that bunker delivery notes are acceptable in either hard copy or digital form providing they meet the relevant requirements of MARPOL Annex VI.

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2023

Admin

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) on Wednesday (3 May) released an article on its observations of the 10^th session of Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response, focusing on electronic bunker delivery notes:

IBIA is pleased to report that an IMO sub-committee, which will report to MEPC 80, has agreed that bunker delivery notes (BDNs) are acceptable in either hard copy or digital form providing they meet the relevant requirements of MARPOL Annex VI.

It follows a proposal made to the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response by the UK, IACS and IBIA, which was discussed at length during last week’s 10^th session (PPR 10).

Our proposal, contained in document PPR 10/14, was made to give industry certainty and alleviate challenges during port State control (PSC) regarding the acceptability of an electronic BDN. Instances have been reported where this was an issue.

Regulation 18.5 of MARPOL Annex VI requires details of fuel oil intended for combustion purposes to be recorded by means of the BDN which is to contain at least the information in appendix V of MARPOL Annex VI. Regulation 18.6 of MARPOL Annex VI requires that the BDN to be kept on board the ship and to be readily available for inspection at all reasonable times. The regulation does not specify the form (physical hard copy or digital), but BDNs are predominantly saved and presented as a hard copy paper document.

Our proposal was for a Unified Interpretation to clarify that electronic BNDs are also acceptable. This principle was generally supported, but there was a lot of debate about how to move forward with this.

Our proposal for Unified Interpretation also mentioned “taking into account” relevant section of a FAL Circular with guidelines for the use of electronic certificates. This was added to alleviate concerns from some parties about the authenticity of digital BNDs. The reference to the FAL circular was, however, problematic for many delegates and created a long debate about how to avoid references to other IMO circulars or resolutions that could give the impression that the BDN is a certificate, or that an administration must approve the use of electronic BNDs.

At the same time, it was clear concerns about the authenticity of an electronic BND needed to be addressed. Several delegations mentioned the legal importance of BDNs for documentation purposes, and that BDNs will become increasingly important as part of the documentation supporting IMO policies to reduce GHG emissions from ships. Some delegations expressed concerns that developing a unified interpretation might not provide sufficient security and accountability guarantees.

This was debated a length first in plenary at PPR 10 and then in a working group. In the end, it was understood that the unified interpretation was only dealing with the current requirements under regulation 18.5 and 18.6 of MARPOL Annex VI, but should include text about how to ensure electronic BDNs would be tamper-proof.

After discussion in the working group, the delegations who had proposed the unified interpretation (United Kingdom, IBIA, IACS) were tasked with amending the text to address these concerns. We worked late and resolved these concerns by adapting relevant text from the FAL circular, while avoiding any references to ‘circular’ or ‘administration’ that may be misinterpreted. The next day, the working group, and subsequently PPR in plenary, agreed to our amended proposal for a Unified Interpretation.

The Unified Interpretation agreed at PPR 10 will be presented to the Marine Environment Protection Committee for its 80^th session in July (MEPC 80) for approval as follows:

Applicability of the requirements for a bunker delivery note

Regulation 18

Fuel oil availability and quality
2 In the annex to circular MEPC.1/Circ.795/Rev.7, it is proposed to add a new interpretation after paragraph 12.1 as follows:
“12.2 The Bunker Delivery Note (BDN) required by regulation 18.5 is acceptable in either hard copy or electronic format provided it contains at least the information specified in appendix V to MARPOL Annex VI and is retained and made available on board in accordance with regulation 18.6.
In addition, an electronic BDN should be protected from edits, modifications or revisions and authentication be possible by a verification method such as a tracking number, watermark, date and time stamp, QR code, GPS coordinates or other verification methods.”

IBIA is happy with this outcome and hopes MEPC 80 will approve the interpretation so the industry can have confidence in using electronic BDNs. There was talk about sending the proposal to FAL (the IMO’s Facilitation Committee) to amend the FAL Circular to include electronic BDNs, which would have meant a long delay in resolving the issue.

Photo credit: International Bunker Industry Association
Published: 10 May, 2023

Alternative Fuels

SMW 2025: Singapore to launch new standard for electric harbour craft this week

MPA and Enterprise Singapore will launch the Technical Reference 136 to provide guidelines for the development and operation of charging and battery swap systems for electric harbour craft, says minister.

Published

7 hours ago

March 24, 2025

Admin

SMW 2025: Singapore to launch new standard for electric harbour craft this week

Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai on Monday (24 March) said Singapore will launch a new standard for electric harbour crafts this week as part of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) efforts in facilitating decarbonisation for domestic harbour craft to achieve the republic’s national target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

“MPA and Enterprise Singapore will launch the new Technical Reference 136 this week to provide guidelines for the development and operation of charging and battery swap systems for electric harbour craft,” Murali said during his speech at the opening ceremony of the Singapore Maritime Week 2025 (SMW 2025).

“This will enhance the safety and interoperability of electric harbour craft charging infrastructure.”

This is one of the initiatives MPA is undertaking to prepare for the bunkering of alternative marine fuels and decarbonising Singapore’s domestic maritime sector.

The minister said Singapore is taking steps to support the use of various fuels by the industry and position Singapore as a leading bunkering hub for alternative fuels.

“Over the past two years, we have supported trials of alternative fuels such as ammonia and methanol. These have contributed to the development of new technical references and IMO guidelines to enable the safe and efficient use of these marine fuels,” he said.

“MPA and Enterprise Singapore published the new Technical Reference 129 on Methanol Bunkering earlier this month, and we plan to launch a new standard for ammonia bunkering later this year.”

He added MPA has also recently allowed licensed bunker tankers to carry and deliver biofuels up to B30.

“Pilots for up to B100 are ongoing, and we welcome bunker suppliers to engage in these pilots,” he said.

At the opening ceremony of SMW 2025, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, together with Murali, also launched Singapore’s first Maritime Digital Twin, an advanced simulation model developed by MPA in partnership with the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) that integrates real-time data to enhance decision-making and improve management of maritime operations in Singapore waters.

Murali said the digital twin will integrate data from different sources and provide a platform for information sharing. This will enable the development of tools to optimise port efficiency and reliability above, at and below the sea surface.

“For example, the digital twin will enable scenario simulations and dispersion modelling, which can inform standard operating procedures for the safe bunkering of alternative fuels such as methanol and ammonia,” he said.

The minister added MPA will roll out the digital twin to pilot users later this year, before progressive implementation for the wider industry.

“In future, we can extend this to the global maritime ecosystem through our Green and Digital Shipping Corridors with other countries and ports,” he said.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of SingaporePublished: 24 March, 2025

Alternative Fuels

TFG Marine welcomes first of four ‘L’ series IMO type II bunkering tankers of Consort Bunkers

TFG Marine to operate Consort Bunkers’ bunkering tanker “Pearl Lavender”, capable of carrying methanol, biogrades up to B100, as well as conventional fuels, at Singapore port from April onwards.

Published

7 hours ago

March 24, 2025

Admin

TFG Marine welcomes first of four 'L' series IMO type II bunkering tankers of Consort Bunkers

Global marine fuel supply and procurement firm TFG Marine on Friday (21 March) said it attended the delivery ceremony of bunker tanker Pearl Lavender at China Merchants Jinling shipyard in Nanjing.

The IMO type II chemical bunkering tanker newbuilding is amongst others under long-term time charter from Singapore-based bunker supplier and logistics services provider Consort Bunkers Pte Ltd (Consort).

"This state of the art vessel, capable of carrying methanol, biogrades up to B100, as well as conventional fuels, will be operational at the Port of Singapore from April 2025, further advancing our product offering to our client base in the APAC region," said TFG Marine.

"As the first of four barges in this order, this investment builds on our commitment to low-carbon fuel bunkering infrastructure, reinforcing our vision for a multi-fuel future.

"With methanol, biofuels, ammonia, and other alternative fuels playing an increasingly significant role alongside traditional marine fuels, we continue to support the industry's transition towards cleaner energy solutions."

Manifold Times previously reported that Consort first contracted six ‘L’ series 6,500 dwt IMO Type II bunker tankers with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. in April 2023.

The ‘L’ series of bunker tanker newbuildings gained recognition from the China Association of The National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI) as amongst the Chinese shipbuilding sector’s top 10 innovative vessels for 2024.

Last year, TFG Marine announced the signing of a long-term time charter agreement with Singapore-based bunker supplier and logistics services provider Consort Bunkers for four newbuild bunker tankers.

Photo credit: TFG Marine
Published: 24 March, 2025

Sanctions

US OFAC sanctions first Chinese teapot refinery and oil tankers over Iranian links

Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical and its chief executive officer were added to OFAC’s sanctions list for purchasing and refining hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil.

Published

7 hours ago

March 24, 2025

Admin

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday (20 March) sanctioned a “teapot” oil refinery and its chief executive officer for purchasing and refining hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil, including from vessels linked to Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis, and the Iranian Ministry of Defense of Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).

Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co., Ltd (Luqing Petrochemical), a teapot refinery in Shandong Province, has purchased millions of barrels of Iranian oil worth approximately half a billion dollars.

Luqing Petrochemical received Iranian oil transported by shadow fleet vessels, some of which have been sanctioned for their role transporting Iranian petroleum linked to the Houthis and MODAFL, including the MEHLE (IMO: 9191711) and the KOHANA (IMO: 9254082). In mid-2022, Luqing Petrochemical was identified as a buyer of Iranian oil associated with the Iranian military and Iranian military forces.

Luqing Petrochemical is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. PRC national Wang Xueqing serves as the chief executive officer and legal representative of Luqing Petrochemical, and is being concurrently designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Luqing Petrochemical.

“Teapot refinery purchases of Iranian oil provide the primary economic lifeline for the Iranian regime, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.

“The United States is committed to cutting off the revenue streams that enable Tehran’s continued financing of terrorism and development of its nuclear program.”

OFAC additionally imposed sanctions on 19 entities and vessels responsible for shipping millions of barrels of Iranian oil, comprising part of Iran’s “shadow fleet” of tankers supplying teapot refineries like Luqing Petrochemical.

Iranian crude oil is transported to teapot refineries via a “shadow fleet” of vessels that usually engage in deceptive shipping practices, including automatic identification system (AIS) manipulation.

OFAC sanctioned eight vessels that constitute part of this fleet, including the Comoros-flagged NATALINA 7 (IMO: 9310147), Panama-flagged CATALINA 7 (IMO: 9310159), AURORA RILEY (IMO: 9181649), and VIOLA (IMO: 9254915), San Marino-flagged MONTROSE (IMO: 9281695), Barbados-flagged VOLANS (IMO: 9422988) and BRAVA LAKE (IMO: 9232876), and the currently unflagged TITAN (IMO: 9293741).