World Bunkering > News > Spring 2010 > Chief Executive's Report

Sulphur Regulation

Ian Adams

With the latest stage of the implementation of EC Directive 2005/33 coming into effect on 1 Jan 2010, the administration received a number of enquiries at the end of last year regarding the implications.

Our members will be aware that the European Commission also received a similar amount of queries, as they sent us a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which we circulated. The FAQ went a long way to answering many of the members’ questions and thus proved extremely useful. Currently we have reached the end of changes to the sulphur regulations from a European perspective.

However, on 1 July 2010, ie six months time, we will have the first of the global changes as required by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under MARPOL Annex VI. The change in July is applicable to Emission Control Areas (ECA) and requires the use of 1% Sulphur fuel in ECAs, or the use of abatement technology resulting in an equivalent emission. As you are all no doubt aware, the changes to MARPOL Annex VI will enter into force in four stages. IBIA will ensure that its members are kept informed of the changes as they occur.

Board of Directors

By the time this edition of World Bunkering is received by the membership, the Board Elections will be complete. This year we have engaged the Electoral Reform Service to conduct our elections for us. The elections will have been exclusively electronic with each member receiving a unique login to allow them to vote. The results will be announced at the AGM at the Naval Club on Monday 15 February and will also be published in the next edition of World Bunkering.

IBIA Annual Dinner

IBIA has experienced a surge in membership over the last six months and this has been reflected in a corresponding increase in interest in the IBIA Annual Dinner. Last year we experienced an amazing response to the dinner, which resulted in a record attendance and a sell out in three weeks. This year we sold out in 10 days! Last year we managed to arrive at a solution which allowed us to increase the number of attendees. This year, utilising the arrangement from last year, we have had to find yet another method to increase the number of available places. We have succeeded in achieving this and we are expecting around 800 guests.

IBIA Annual Convention

Regular readers will have seen the report about the IBIA Convention in Singapore in the last edition of World Bunkering. Having now had the opportunity to analyse the feedback, I am delighted to report that it has been incredibly positive. There are always areas that can be improved upon, but in essence the delegates appear to have found the event a great experience.

This year’s event will be held at the Stamford Marriott Hotel, Connecticut, USA, from 20-23 September 2010. As SIBCON is also being held this year, we chose a date that would not clash! The conference programme committee will be meeting on the afternoon after the dinner, but if any member has any suggestions for the conference please do contact the IBIA Administration. We are open to suggestions about format as well as content. This is the IBIA membership’s opportunity to gather together for a couple of days, and it is important that it is in a format that brings the maximum benefit to all the attendees. It is extremely important to us that we make this the “must not miss event”, similar to the Annual Dinner. There are also numerous opportunities for sponsorship, and again we are open to suggestions, so we look forward to hearing from you soon. For further information please contact Anne Chambers (anne.chambers@ibia.net).

Board Rotation

As mentioned above we are currently balloting the membership for the Board elections and whilst this will result in some new members of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the contribution of the Board members who are to stand down in April.

The three Board members who are due to retire are Fritz Fredriksen, Alejandro Risler and Tim Wilson. Fritz, as most of you will be aware, was our Chairman between February 2007 and February 2009. Among many other things, he presided over the restructuring of the Board and the introduction of the new governance structure. This has placed IBIA in a very strong position for the future and should be considered an achievement.

Alejandro has been a Council/Board member since 1994 and has been IBIA’s voice in South America for that period. His support during the IBIA convention in Buenos Aires was invaluable and considering the distance involved, his attendance at meetings has been pretty impressive. Tim has been on the Council/Board since 2006 but in that time he has managed to serve on the Executive Committee and, more recently, the Board Development Committee.

All three of the retiring Board members have made a significant contribution to IBIA and on behalf of the Administration I would like to record heartfelt thanks to them all. Finally, as mentioned by Chris in his introduction, we are reaching the end of the current Chairman’s term. Under the new regime, the Chairman’s term of office ends in April and Chris will then become the Immediate Past Chairman. I would like to say a personal thank you to Chris for all of his help and support over the last year. I would also like to wish Mike Ball every success when he takes over and I look forward to working with him during his year in office.

Ian Adams

IBIA clarifies EU sulphur directive

IBIA has moved quickly to dispel the apparent confusion currently surrounding implementation of the EU directive requiring all ships to use low-sulphur fuel while at berth in EU ports.

EU Directive 2005/33/EC requires that, with effect from 1 January 2010, member states must take all necessary steps to ensure that ships at berth in EU ports do not use marine fuels with a sulphur content exceeding 0.1% by mass. Although reports have been circulating in the industry that, because of the potential safety risks associated with the switchover on ships with unmodified boilers, the deadline may have been put back, IBIA stresses that such is not the case.

IBIA Chief Executive Ian Adams says: “We have heard various rumours, including one which suggests that the deadline for implementation of the EU directive has been postponed by six months. Nothing could be further from the truth. The directive came into force on 1 January, and all ships operating to EU ports must ensure that they are compliant with it.

“Ships are not exempt on the ground that the fuel changeover is unsafe because modifications have not been made to its boilers, or to the ship itself. Similarly, there is no dispensation for ships which have made arrangements to carry out the necessary modifications but have not yet implemented them. Such ships are not allowed to use fuel with a sulphur content higher than 0.1% in the interim.

“There are very few exceptions to the rules, although the European Commission has signified its awareness of the potential dangers associated with the switchover to low-sulphur fuel while in port, and has advised member states to enforce the regulations with a degree of flexibility for a transitional period in those cases where there is detailed evidence of the existence of an approved plan for vessel and/or boiler modification. IBIA understands that safety must always be the main priority for all ships, and the EU directive which is now in force must be included in all safety-related decision-making procedures.”

Any operator unsure whether it is in compliance with the EU directive as it is enforced in a particular EU port should contact the local authorities before entering that port.