The traceability of sustainable marine fuels and the transfer of their certification information were among the issues examined in a Brazilian pilot of a fuel registry concept.
In a submission to the IMO's 23rd session of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 23) on October 15, Brazil outlined lessons from a 2026 pilot that simulated the movement of a batch of bioethanol from production to delivery to a ship.
The exercise involved biofuel producer FS Indústria de Biocombustíveis, trader FS Comercialização, bunker supplier Bunker One, shipping company Aliança Navegação e Logística, certification body SCS Global Services and the Brazilian Navy's Directorate of Ports and Coasts.
One issue raised by participants concerned the timing of sustainability documentation.
Brazil said that, in practice, "the PoS [proof of sustainability] for a delivery is often issued weeks after the fuel has been delivered and the BDN issued".
The submission said participants considered it important for the registry to support this sequence. The bunker supplier also suggested allowing notifications when a PoS was still pending.
On certification, SCS Global Services noted that "different certification schemes may use different names for the same product", which could create difficulties for a registry if not addressed from the beginning.
Participants also discussed whether registration should be voluntary or mandatory. The certification body considered that "all relevant documents would need to be registered" for the registry to provide an effective safeguard against double counting.
However, some participants said a requirement would only be acceptable if the registry "replaced the current exchange of documents rather than adding to it".
Brazil said it intends to continue testing the registry on a voluntary basis, share the results with the IMO and adapt future testing in light of the Organization's decisions.
