IBIA Welcomes IMO Guidance Change on Carriage of Biofuel Bunkers

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday February 10, 2025

Bunker industry body IBIA has welcomed new guidance from the IMO on the carriage of biofuel bunker blends.

The new guidance from the UN body's subcommittee on pollution prevention and response allows for conventional bunker ships to carry biofuel blends of up to 30% by volume, up from 25% previously.

IBIA had submitted a document to the IMO on the subject in November 2023.

"This highlighted that as conventional bunker vessels were limited in carrying fuel oil of no more than 25% biofuel it presented a potential impediment to the global adoption of biofuels as fuel oil for ships and so to the ambition for the decarbonization of international shipping in the short term, as set out in the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy," IBIA said in a note to members on Monday.

"IBIA's membership represents stakeholders from across the global marine fuel value chain, and being able to draw on this technically strong and credible resource will, in its role of having consultative status to the IMO, mean that IBIA will continue to bring important matters to the attention of the wider IMO membership for due consideration."