Business

IBIA: YOUR VOICE AT THE IMO

Without IBIA, the perspectives and understanding of the bunker industry may not be heard, writes Unni Einemo, Director of the International Bunker Industry Association.

Published

5 years ago

June 29, 2021

Admin

Regulations and associated guidelines developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) affect the supply and use of marine fuels in many ways. As an NGO with consultative status at the IMO, IBIA has the right to attend IMO meetings to represent our industry’s interests and provide relevant expertise to the IMO’s work and deliberations.

IBIA is unique among the NGOs at the IMO. We are the only NGO to represent fuel oil bunker suppliers directly. We are also able to bring a holistic view because our membership encompasses stakeholders across the marine fuel value chain: marine fuel producers, physical suppliers, trading and broking intermediaries, marine fuel consumers and a range of associated stakeholders and service providers such as fuel testing agencies and surveyors, storage providers, maritime lawyers and consultants, port authorities, credit reporting companies and specialist journalists.

IBIA keeps a close watch on all IMO work that has a direct or indirect impact on the supply and use of all types of marine fuels, or ‘bunkers’. This is still dominated by oil-based bunker fuels, but it is beginning to change as pressure grows on the IMO to develop policy tools to deliver big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping in the coming years. There is also work underway at the IMO to impose further regulations directly on fuel oil bunker suppliers.

Without IBIA being active at the IMO, the development of regulations that affect our industry would be left almost entirely to IMO Member States and the large number of shipping organisations and associated bodies, as well as environmental organisations with consultative status at the IMO, many of whom view the bunker industry with deep suspicion. As IBIA’s IMO Representative, I can tell you it can be a tough gig to be heard and understood, but we fight your corner as best we can by providing insights, reasoned arguments, and pragmatic solutions.

To ensure we stay abreast of developments, IBIA attends all relevant IMO meetings and we are active in IMO Working Groups dealing with fuel-related matters during committee and sub-committee meetings, and intersessionally in Correspondence Groups. We bring relevant expertise from IBIA’s membership, primarily from the IBIA Technical Working Group, to advise and take part in IMO Working Group and Correspondence Group deliberations.

In the past couple of years, IBIA has contributed to the work of IMO through submissions, either on our own or as a co-sponsor, to the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR), and most recently to the Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (III). Much of this has been follow-up items relating to consistent implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit.

We have also co-sponsored submissions to the IMO’s Facilitation Committed (FAL) and the Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SEE). Moreover, IBIA has provided input to several IMO Correspondence Groups, including: Data Collection and Analysis under Regulation 18 of MARPOL Annex VI, Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency (MEPC), Fuel Oil Safety (MSC), IGF Code (the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers – CCC) and Guidance to Address Maritime Corruption (FAL).

Meetings at the IMO are coming thick and fast, but as they have been taking place online since the second half of 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions, they last for only three hours because they need to accommodate delegates across all time zones. To get things moving, a lot of work goes on between the formal meetings.

I am striving to ensure that IBIA keeps an eye on, and takes part in, all IMO activities that touch on issues that have a direct or indirect impact on our members. Without IBIA, the perspective and understanding of the bunker industry may not be heard at the IMO.

Unni Einemo
Director, IBIA
[email protected]

Published: 29 June, 2021

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

4 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

4 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

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Published

4 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post.

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024.

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026