IBIA Develops Bunkering Procedure Guidelines
A set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for surveyors has been developed by the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) to help the industry manage new regulations, standardize best practice and build trust in the market, IBIA announced.
IBIA said the guidelines have been developed in response to the introduction of the Singapore Mass Flow Meter (MFM) Technical Reference or TR 48:2015 launched on February 16, 2016, in support of the mandatory use of MFM systems for all marine fuel oil (MFO) deliveries in Singapore with effect from January 1, 2017.
The Marine and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) requires all bunker suppliers, bunker craft operators and bunker surveyors to comply with the requirements and procedures of TR 48:2015 as of June 1, 2016 when using bunker tankers where MFM systems are already installed.
According to the IBIA, the new MFM requirements strive to increase the overall efficiency of the bunker fuel delivery process, while improving the port bunkering capacity and port efficiency, increasing productivity and reducing administrative processes. Singapore has implemented the changes now, but ports around the world are expected to follow.
The transition will be challenging, IBIA said, which is why it has developed the SOP for bunker surveyors, to support the new regulatory requirements and to standardize practice for bunker delivery by mass flow meter to vessel.
Peter Hall, CEO IBIA, said, “The development and adoption of SOP for surveyors will go a long way towards building trust in the market and underlines IBIA's commitment to education and professional best practice. The draft document was presented at the MPA Singapore Bunker Forum on April 22, 2016. This is the very first time such guidelines have been developed for surveyors and the feedback is positive. We hope to push this forward quickly as it really will add significant value and improve working practices across the industry.”
The IBIA guidelines have been drafted with input from several international bunker surveying companies, and are now open to broader consultation, with the intention that the SOPs will be promoted and adopted as operational best practice across the industry.
The standard operating procedures and the requirements will not supersede any agreement or guidelines contained in any contract, or applicable recommended practices of regulatory or standard bodies, they will not conflict with safety and environmental considerations or local conditions, they are simply to develop and promote industry best practice.
IBIA said it intends to launch and share the final approved SOP with the industry by June 2016.
