Asia/Pacific News
IBIA CONVENTION 2025: MFM Mandate Coming to South Korea in 2027
South Korea is set to impose its mandate for the use of mass flow meters for marine fuel deliveries in 2027, delegates at the IBIA Annual Convention in Hong Kong heard on Thursday.
The government is preparing to set up the new rule, and has already distributed some funds to barge owners to subsidise the investment in new equipment, according to local and regional market participants during a panel session at the industry event.
"Recently I heard that mass flow meters will be implemented by 2027," a panelist said.
"Personally I think that MFMs will happen in Korea, because I have seen there is a subsidy fund from the government for each barge.
"They want to make it a more transparent market."
Another panelist set out the details of some of the issues South Korea is trying to address with the mandate.
"After the supply of bunkers there will be leftovers in the bunker barge, and these are sold in inland Korea or to other vessels," the panelist said.
"Korea's maritime police have put a lot of cases, they have written things.
"At the moment four parties are running with the MFMs, but they are closely talking to customs and concerned parties on how to control this, like Singapore.
"In Korea, you have to load one order to supply one vessel and go back, so I think this will make it flexible."
South Korea's government has already been encouraging a shift to the use of mass flow meters for bunker delivery measurement among the country's marine fuel suppliers.
As of April 1, 2025, suppliers in South Korea have been required to submit to the government a fuel supply statement for each delivery based either on MFM data or tank soundings taken during loading, according to guidance from the country's National Tax Service.
An initial implementation period of April 1 to September 30 was initially set, during which no administrative measures were to be imposed for non-compliance.
Singapore has mandated the use of MFMs since 2017, while Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges are set to require the same from next year. Fujairah's authorities have also said they will consider imposing a similar mandate.
MFMs are a more accurate means of measuring bunker deliveries.
Traditional tank soundings taken with a measuring tape are vulnerable to both accidental and deliberate misreporting of delivered volumes. The 'cappuccino bunkers' effect, where air bubbles in the oil give the impression of more fuel having been delivered than was actually the case, has been a longstanding problem in the industry, and one that can be eliminated by the use of MFMs.
