The nine-section checklist for first-time FAME users runs from OEM sign-off before ordering to filter clogging in the first weeks of use. Image Credit: IMO

• IBIA shipboard biofuel blend checklist annexed to MEPC 85/INF.10
• Aimed at operators bunkering and burning FAME blends for the first time
• Based on CIMAC guideline 04|2024 on marine fuels containing FAME
• Part of the update to the IBIA/BIMCO Shipmaster's Bunkering Manual

Bunker industry body IBIA's shipboard biofuel blend checklist for FAME-based fuels has been issued by the IMO as an annex to document MEPC 85/INF.10, putting the guidance in front of member states ahead of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) session that runs from November 30 to December 3.

The checklist was developed by the IBIA Technical Working Group as part of the ongoing update of the IBIA/BIMCO Shipmaster's Bunkering Manual, and is intended to help vessel operators with the practical side of bunkering and consuming biofuel blends, particularly for the first time, IBIA said in a statement.

In the submission, dated September 3, IBIA notes that the increased use of biofuel blends brings the potential for different and additional operational risks for the ship, especially for operators planning to bunker and consume blends for the first time.

These risks can be addressed through robust fuel management both before delivery and once onboard, IBIA says.

The checklist is based on the International Council on Combustion Engines (CIMAC) guideline 04|2024, Marine fuels containing FAME, and IBIA says operators looking at bio-based products other than FAME blends should seek guidance from the engine maker and the ship's recognised organisation instead.

Among the practical points, the checklist calls for bunker tanks to be stripped before a blend is first loaded, warns that blends may loosen accumulated deposits in tanks and fuel systems and increase filter loading in the early period of use, and suggests retesting fuel quality if a blend has been stored for more than six months.

It also asks crews to check the blend ratio and sustainability documentation alongside the bunker delivery note before accepting the fuel, and to allow for the lower energy content of blends in voyage fuel planning.

As Ship & Bunker reported last month, the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has warned that blend ratios, such as B24 or B30, are typically supplier-declared rather than independently verified.

The guidance arrives at a time when biofuel has cemented its place as part of the current marine fuel mix, but there are signs that recent demand has failed to match earlier enthusiasm.

Blend sales at Singapore, the largest bunkering hub, totalled 519,820 mt over the first eight months of 2026, half the 1.04 million mt sold in the same period last year, according to data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) reported by Ship & Bunker.

The checklist can be downloaded here.