Asia/Pacific News
South Korea Encourages Shift to Mass Flow Meters for Bunker Measurement
South Korea's government is 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, suppliers in South Korea are 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 has been set, during which no administrative measures will be imposed for non-compliance.
Suppliers in South Korea are already shifting to the use of MFMs, and barge fees are likely to rise in the country as a result, a local source told Ship & Bunker.
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.
