World Bunkering > News > Autumn 2010 > Chairman's Introduction

Mike Ball

Former US vice-president Dan Quayle once said, “I do have a political agenda. It is to have as few regulations as possible”. While that is a nice thought, it goes against what is happening in the world – and indeed in shipping – today. Increased regulation in shipping is closely related to a greater awareness of safety, environmental and health issues, which of course is no bad thing. The modern bunker industry has to concern itself with the likes of sulphur emissions and air quality, in addition to the traditional considerations of safety and engine performance which have always been with us. Shipping, generally, has a good environmental footprint, and it is only going to get better.

Increasing regulation is something that the shipping industry has had to learn to live with in recent years, and we have seen two very recent examples of that, which will have a significant impact on the bunker industry.

In June, the fourth edition of ISO8217, which governs the specification and classification of marine fuels, was published. We have all been working with ISO8217 for a number of years, but of course each revision presents new challenges. This one will be no exception.

In July, a new fuel sulphur limit of 1% came into effect for ships operating in the Emissions Control Areas covering the Baltic, the North Sea and the English Channel. This represents a drop from the previous limit of 1.5%, and follows closely on from the requirement under EU law for all ships at berth or anchorage in EU ports to use fuels with a sulphur content of less than 0.1%. In addition, of course, we will have the US and Canadian ECAs to contend with from mid-to-late-2012.

These regulations all represent significant challenges for the bunker industry, which must achieve compliance with the rules while maintaining the high standards of quality, service and safety, at competitive prices, which today’s quality shipowners demand. No small task, but one that I am confident we can accomplish as an industry. IBIA, of course, represents the industry at the forums where these issues are debated. So we rely on our members to provide us with the sort of feedback which we need to inform – and hopefully to influence – the debate.

As you are all aware, we have restructured IBIA so that it is more efficient, more user-friendly and ultimately more effective on behalf of the IBIA membership. In order to be your eyes and ears, we have to hear your voice, so please provide IBIA with the feedback which we need to help us fulfil our remit on your behalf. In order to make the right decisions, the regulators need to understand what shipowners and fuel suppliers need and why they need it. Otherwise we run the risk of having to comply with regulations which are simply unworkable.

IBIA places the highest store by professionalism, and so it was rewarding to see that Certificates of Competency were recently awarded to the first graduates to complete IBIA Training Programme for Bunker Cargo Officers, which aims to raise professionalism through recognised industry qualifications. With this training programme, IBIA has taken the first steps towards enhancing employability and the advancement of graduate careers.

Other developments since we last spoke include the appointment of Bob Lintott as IBIA vice-chairman. Bob is an industry man who has bought, sold and marketed bunkers, and that is important for an organisation such as IBIA, which represents every part of the bunker world. Bob’s experience will be invaluable to IBIA at a time when we face increasing regulation of the production and use of fuel. He will take over as IBIA chairman next year. We will all be in safe hands.

Finally, I would like to welcome Charlotte Egan to the IBIA family. Charlotte has recently joined IBIA as our new events manager, which title embraces a wide range of responsibilities, not least the priority of strengthening our presence on social networks and e-platforms, and building on the success of the two IBIA flagship events – the Annual Convention and the Annual Dinner.

Technology has changed our industry a great deal in a short space of time, and increased the opportunities to exchange information and to keep in touch in a way that wouldn’t have been possible just a few short years ago. Charlotte will use her skills and experience to, among other things, harness the power of social networks and the internet to better effect. We have some grey hair at IBIA, as does every organisation of our kind, because there is no substitute for experience. But IBIA is also a modern, dynamic organisation, which is committed to moving with the times, and we recognise that we need to put in place the tools which will help members to interact more easily, and IBIA to interact more readily with other shipping industry and political interests.

It will be part of Charlotte’s role to ensure that IBIA does not lose the ability to socialise whilst making full use of the power of the internet. We believe that Charlotte can help us bring people together, both in the traditional way and online. Exploiting the power of the internet can only help us to expand both the IBIA membership and its sphere of influence.

Mike Ball