IBIA CONVENTION: Cockett CEO Sees CII Regulation Raising Bunker Use for Some Ships

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday November 13, 2023

Global marine fuels firm Cockett Group is the latest company to raise concerns over the IMO's carbon intensity indicator regulation, saying it may raise fuel consumption for some ships.

Cockett CEO Cem Saral commented on the upcoming regulation in a panel session at the IBIA Annual Convention 2023 in Dubai last week. 

From this year all vessels larger than 5,000 GT will have calculated for them a CII rating based on historical data submitted to the IMO. The rating is a calculation of the CO2 the vessel emitted per unit of cargo capacity per nautical mile.

The rating will come as a letter between A and E, with A at the top of the scale, and ratings will be determined on an annual basis. Ships receiving a D rating for three years or an E rating for a single year will need to implement a ship energy efficiency management plan setting out their plans to improve their performance.

Whichever way a ship is graded carries a cost, and a change to CII grading has implications for its competitiveness in the market.

"I think CII is one of those examples where good intentions are not good enough, and it's not been carefully thought over" Saral said at the conference.

"It creates a lot of complexity on the operational side, but it also has a real-life impact; actually it may end up consuming more fuel, emitting more CO2, in order to get a better grade, which is quite the opposite of what and why this legislation is being put forward."

New IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez faced down criticism of the regulation at a London International Shipping Week event in September.

"Our review of the CII has already been established," Dominguez said at the event on Wednesday.

"We are hearing you loud and clear.

"We have several proposals already put forward.

"What I can tell you is that we do listen.

"That's why the regulation was introduced with a soft approach at the beginning -- it's to get all this feedback, get this information.

"Keep having faith in this organisation, because we continue to deliver, but we need you all on board."