Several shipowners and bunker suppliers have joined forces to address “widely reported” concerns around bunker fuel quality and a shortage of supplies in the ARA region by launching a Bunkering Services Initiative.

IMAGE: A large container ship moored in a commercial dock at night in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Getty Images

“The Initiative [Bunkering Services Initiative] represents 20% of ARA market volume comprising several thousand deliveries each year,” the joint statement said.

Founding members include shipowners Cargill, Frontline, Hafnia, Hapag-Lloyd, Oldendorff and Unifeeder, commodity trading firms Mercuria and Trafigura, as well as bunker fuel suppliers Minerva Bunkering, TFG Marine and Vitol, among others.

The members plan to self-regulate by using mass flow meters on bunker barges and implementing digitalised quality checks to monitor fuel quality and quantity throughout the supply chain.

Lloyd’s Register has been appointed as the System Auditor. It will certify participating barges, carry out “unannounced physical barge inspections” and verify ongoing compliance.

“By addressing these market distortions, marine fuel buyers can make optimal procurement decisions and suppliers can operate on a level playing field,” the joint statement added.

By Konica Bhatt

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