New IMO Bunker Sample Point Rules Come Into Force This Week

The changes will deliver consistency in where bunker samples taken for quality testing are taken from. File Image / Pixabay

A change in the IMO's rules governing how bunker samples are taken comes into force this week.

Amendments to the IMO's MARPOL Annex VI regulations will require all ships of 400 gross tonnes or above built from April 1 onwards to have designated sample points for taking in-use bunker samples. For existing ships, the sample points must be fitted no later than the first renewal survey after April 1, 2023.

"The purpose of in-use samples is to draw a representative sample of the fuel that is actually in use on a ship," industry body IBIA said in a note on its website explaining the new rules.

"This has, in fact, been the most common practice in European Union countries for several years when port state control authorities have undertaken detailed inspections to check that ships were complying with emission control area limits and/or sulphur limits for ships at berth in EU ports."

The rules are designed to avoid the potential for quality disputes stemming from the tested quality of a sample not being representative of the fuel actually delivered because of where the sample was taken from.

Peter Zachariassen, CEO of marine fuel supplier Bunker One, told Ship & Bunker the new rules would be an improvement.

"Bunker One supports this, as this will be a harmonized way of sampling and we especially support the harmonization there is with ISO 8217 standard for test of in-use samples," he said.

"Meaning that the inaccuracy in laboratory test results will follow ISO 4259 "Determination and application of precision data in relation to methods of test", also considered as industry best practice."