Business

IBIA welcomes news of Rotterdam’s plans to mandate MFMs

Rotterdam and Antwerp ports received a letter in July 2021 from 40 ship owners, bunker suppliers and others requesting MFMs to be made mandatory, says IBIA.

Published

2 years ago

November 1, 2022

Admin

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) on Monday (31 October) released an announcement that it welcomed news the Port of Rotterdam appears to be moving toward making the use of mass flow meters (MFMs) mandatory for bunker deliveries:

“We believe this is a logical next step for the Port of Rotterdam, which introduced a license requirement for bunkering vessels operating under its jurisdiction on 1 February 2021,” said Unni Einemo, the Director of IBIA.

IBIA is very supportive of a move toward mandating MFMs not just in Rotterdam, but in all ports in the ARA region as well as other bunkering hubs around the world. It aligns with the goals of the Board of IBIA and the IBIA Bunker Licensing & MFM Working Group.

A survey created by the IBIA Bunker Licensing & MFM Working Group, which BIMCO takes part in, found strong industry support for bunker supplier licensing and more use of MFMs, which are seen as key tools for improving market conditions and reducing disputes between bunker suppliers and buyers.

IBIA has shared the results of the joint survey with press, on our website, in IBIA’s magazine World Bunkering and most recently in an information document co-sponsored by BIMCO submitted to the next meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee. We did this to raise awareness among IMO Member States and stakeholders of the benefits of adopting effective bunker licencing programmes and MFM technology. (More information on THIS LINK)

The Port of Rotterdam has been working on improving conditions in its bunker market for years. The license requirement for bunkering vessels introduced in February 2021 was the outcome of a detailed consultation process with a full range of stakeholders, both local and international, including IBIA. Ron van Gelder, working as a senior adviser for the Harbour Master Division, has been key in this work. He explained to IBIA in a Q&A back in 2021 why MFMs were not part of the initial bunker barge license requirements. (More information on THIS LINK)

This year, in the wake of the IBIA and BIMCO survey, the Harbour Master’s Division of Rotterdam and the Port of Antwerp commissioned the independent research and consultancy CE Delft to investigate alleged problems with the quantity of fuel supplied in these ports and make recommendations for how to solve it. Both ports also received a letter in July 2021 from 40 ship owners, bunker barge operators/transporters and bunker suppliers requesting MFMs to be made mandatory. IBIA supported this research effort by sharing information and a link to the survey conducted by CE Delft with our members.

IBIA understands that the final report from CE Delft will be ready soon and hopes that Antwerp will also move toward mandating MFM on barges operating in the major Belgian port.

IBIA realises that mandating MFMs will be a bigger financial burden for bunker suppliers in the ARA region than it was in Singapore, where the Maritime and Port Authority provided financial support covering half the cost of installing the mass flow metres.

But estimates suggest the extra cost associated with installing an MFM per tonne of bunkers delivered is minimal. Moreover, the use of MFMs improves efficiency because it saves time compared to traditional manual measurements, thereby enabling higher supply turnover for each bunker barge.

Einemo observes: “In Singapore, they have estimated time savings ranging from one to four hours for each bunkering operation. These operational benefits and reduced manpower time, as well as time and cost savings thanks to less time and resources spent on dispute resolution, have the potential to make up for the cost of installing and certifying MFMs within a relatively short time.”

Figures from a study published by Enterprise Singapore in 2020 estimated that the implementation of TR 48 had resulted in an estimated potential annual saving of US$59.3 to US$146.6 million for the Singapore bunkering ecosystem, mainly due to efficiency gains (66.3% -76.0%) but also savings on time and resources associated with quantity disputes (33.9% – 25.6%).

TR 48 was the precursor to Singapore’s SS 648 standard which covers the requirements of bunker quantity measurement using a Coriolis MFM system. These requirements include metering system qualification, installation, testing, procedures, and documentation for bunker custody transfers.

Bunker licencing and MFMs are among the topics up for discussion at the IBIA Annual Convention 2022 which will be held in Houston on November 15-17. The event will start with a welcome reception followed by a series of keynote speeches, presentations, panel sessions and networking opportunities over the following two days. For more information, refer to the IBIA Convention website on THIS LINK or contact IBIA’s events team via Tahra Sergeant at [email protected].

Photo credit: IBIA
Published: 1 November, 2022

Bunker Fuel

SIBCON 2024: Singapore bunker suppliers must provide e-BDN from 1 April 2025

Senior Minister of State Amy Khor also announced MPA will reduce the frequency of verification checks for mass flow meters from twice a year currently, to once a year, from 1 April 2025.

Published

5 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Admin

SIBCON 2024: Singapore bunker suppliers must provide e-BDN from 1 April 2025

From 1 April 2025, all bunker suppliers in the Port of Singapore will be required to provide digital bunkering services as a default, said Senior Minister of State for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor on Wednesday (9 October).

Khor said Singapore will be the first port globally to implement digital bunkering at scale. MPA launched the digital bunkering initiative on 1 November 2023, becoming the first port in the world to implement electronic bunker delivery notes (e-BDN).

“This initiative is expected to save the industry close to 40,000 man-days annually. In addition, MPA will introduce a centralised electronic Bunker Delivery Note record verification facility to enhance the transparency and integrity of transactions in bunkering operations,” she said in her speech at the 23rd Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON).

She emphasised that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will work closely with industry partners and the unions to digitalise and streamline processes to improve efficiency in our port; strengthen our capabilities for the bunkering of future fuels and encourage adoption of these fuels; and upskill our workforce to facilitate the green transition.

Khor also made the following announcements:

From 1 April 2025, MPA will reduce the frequency of verification checks for mass flow meters from twice a year currently, to once a year. Singapore was the first port globally to adopt mass flow meters in 2017, and this new move is expected to help the industry save approximately $300,000 annually.
From 1 January 2025, MPA will roll out two innovative AI applications, DocuMind and DocuMatch, developed in collaboration with cloud service providers to drive greater efficiency in our port. These are expected to accelerate certificate processing time from up to three days currently, to a few minutes for most transactions.
Two ammonia bunkering proposals by Mitsui and Fortescue-Equatorial Marine Fuels have been selected by the consortia for the next round of Request for Proposal to provide a low- or zero-carbon ammonia solution on Jurong Island for power generation and bunkering.
MPA will commit $50 million to support the implementation of the refreshed Maritime Singapore Green Initiative, to further encourage the early adoption of green fuels and technologies across the maritime industry.
Singapore will continue to strengthen international partnerships through initiatives like the Green and Digital Shipping Corridors (GDSCs) to enable the digitalisation and decarbonisation of shipping. On 9 October, MPA and the Shandong Provincial Transport Department will be signing the Singapore-Shandong GDSC at the sidelines of the 25th Singapore-Shandong Business Council co-chaired by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, and Mr Zhou Naixiang, Governor of the Shandong Provincial Government.

Photo credit: Singapore Ministry of Transport
Published: 9 October, 2024

Mass Flowmeter

Singapore-based Metcore and LR team up for MFM certification service

Both launched an independent accredited certification service to certify the accuracy and reliability of bunker fuel quantity received via Mass Flow Meters.

Published

5 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Admin

Singapore-based MFM system measurement solutions provider, Metcore International Pte Ltd (Metcore), and classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) on Tuesday (8 October) launched an independent accredited certification service to certify the accuracy and reliability of the quantity of fuel received via Mass Flow Meters (MFM).

The service provides an additional conformity assessment of the installed meters, positioned, used, maintained and continually certified to the ISO 22192:2021 standard.

The demand for greater accuracy in delivered bunker quantities, coupled with the need for greater transparency, security and process automation, is fuelling the widespread adoption of MFMs across the bunker industry. In 2017, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore mandated the use of MFM for bunkering operations. SOHAR Port and Freezone has announced a mandate from the start of 2025 and the Port of Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges are also set to introduce mandatory use of MFMs in 2026.

To help address the concerns that shipowners and bunker buyers have with the use of MFM on bunker tankers, the LR-Metcore MFM certification service aims to minimise the likely causes of measurement error and ensure that the MFM system serviceability extends beyond its initial qualification at installation. Its post-approval conformity assessment program includes metering-data analysis to monitor crew competency to help maintain secure integrity for continual measurement performance.

In the event of a dispute, the service also offers an independent bunker delivery MFM digital data review as part of the investigation process, helping ensure all parties can carry out a detailed review of the data.

Lewis Cox, LR’s FOBAS Business Development Area Manager, said: “With the potential to eliminate bunker quantity disputes, minimise turnaround time and boost confidence in delivery data – particularly as ship operators seek to account for emissions from the fuel they consume – using Mass Flow Meters seems to be a win for all stakeholders.”

“But the reality of adopting them is not necessarily as straightforward. With the new LR-Metcore MFM certification service, bunkering stakeholders will have peace of mind that their installed meters are certified in conformity with internationally recognised standards for enhanced transparency and trust.”

Photo credit: Metcore International
Published: 9 October, 2024

LNG Bunkering

Seaspan Energy takes delivery of first LNG bunkering vessel

“Seaspan Garibaldi” will take first cargo and finalise commissioning in Vancouver before its first ship-to-ship bunkering in Long Beach, where Seaspan will bunker a series of vessels.

Published

5 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Admin

Seaspan Energy takes delivery of first LNG bunkering vessel “Seaspan Garibaldi”

Seaspan Energy on Monday (7 October) said it took delivery of its first LNG bunkering vessel, the Seaspan Garibaldi and is currently sailing to Vancouver.

Manifold Times previously reported that the vessel is the first of three 7,600m3 LNG bunkering vessels and it is named after Mount Garibaldi, or “Nch'ḵay̓”.

The Garibaldi will take first cargo and finalise commissioning in Vancouver before its first ship-to-ship bunkering in Long Beach, where Seaspan will provide Simultaneous Operations to bunker a series of vessels.

Following its first bunkering, the Seaspan Garibaldi will continue to provide low-carbon solutions to vessels on the West Coast of North America and will soon be joined by Seaspan Energy’s second LNG bunkering vessel, the Seaspan Lions (Ch’ich’iyúy Elxwíkn).

The Seaspan Garibaldi is 112.8 metres in length, 18.6 metres in width, 5 metres in draft, with a design speed of 13 knots.

CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE), a small-scale gas carrier shipyard in the world, was appointed to build all three LNG bunkering vessels.

Photo credit: Seaspan
Published: 9 October, 2024