Supplier's Declaration on BDN May Change to Suit ECAs

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday October 22, 2014

The text of the supplier's declaration on the bunker delivery note (BDN) will likely change to fit emission control area (ECA) sulphur regulations, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) has said .

A proposal was submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) this week to include additional language in the declaration to account for those who are using scrubbers or abatement technology to adhere to sulfur limits. 

Currently, the note requires that the declaration be signed and certified by the supplier that the fuel conforms to regulations.

The proposed additional text submitted by a large number of countries and the the European Commissions reads: "If the receiver of the fuel oil identifies that the fuel oil is intended to be used in combination with an approved equivalent means of compliance in accordance with regulation 4 of MARPOL Annex VI, the declaration shall certify that the fuel oil supplied is in conformity with regulation 18.3 of this Annex."

IMarEST, however, said that a better option may be to rewrite the language completely, as suppliers typically have no control over how the fuel is used aboard the ship. 

Their proposed text reads: " A declaration signed and certified by the fuel oil supplier's representative that the sulphur content of the fuel oil supplied is in accordance with the value stated on this Bunker Delivery Note and the fuel oil is in conformity with regulation 18.3 of MARPOL Annex VI."

Beginning January 1, 2015, marine fuel used in ECAs can not have sulfur content that exceeds 0.10 percent by weight, down from the current limit of 1.00 percent.

In response, many companies have made provisions to switch to low sulfur marine gas oil, while others are investing in other technologies such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) or scrubbers.

Last week, BP Singapore president Terence Yuen touted scrubbers as the most economic option for adhering to sulfur limits.