IBIA on Mass Flow Meters: 'The Benefits Have Been Proven'

by the International Bunker Industry Association
Monday August 21, 2023

Siti Noraini Zaini, regional manager for IBIA in Asia, shared the following paper with the industry body's members on Monday to set out its position on mass flow meters.

IBIA's Position on Coriolis Mass Flow Meter (MFM) Adoption in the Bunker Industry

Background

IBIA supports greater transparency in the bunker sector, with the Coriolis Mass Flow Meter ("MFM") as one of the solutions. The joint IBIA and BIMCO survey in 2022 established a strong desire from the bunker industry to increase transparency between suppliers and buyers, reduce quantity disputes and create a level playing field for bunker suppliers and buyers.

The benefits of the MFM have been proven in the Port of Singapore where the implementing authority, Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has mandated the use of mass flow metering system for custody transfer of all marine residual fuel oils since 2017 and since 2019 for all distillates.

Supporting the implementation of MFM has been the development of Singapore Standards and mandatory application SS648:2019, which has provided a holistic approach in bunker assurance measurement, while maintaining a high-level integrity of the MFM system, through robust standardisation and audit regime, along with continual industry engagement in developments of the standards and regulations.

International Standards on Bunker Mass Flow Metering

IBIA acknowledges that some bunker ports already have in place national or regional legislation on measuring instruments such as MFMs for use in general trade or custody transfer and that these MFMs meet the prescribed requirements to ensure their readiness for oil and gas measurement. However, these requirements may not necessarily be specific to bunker fuel measurement mainly due to the complexity of bunker fuel and its operational transfers.

The International Standard Organisation's ISO22192:2021 offers a unified approach, ensuring the MFM system installed on a specific bunker tanker conforms to the requirements of a bunker operation.

Based on the experience and knowledge gained from bunker stakeholders, ISO22192 was developed for the bunker industry to:

  1. enhance the efficiency of the bunkering operation
  2. promote best practices in bunker fuel measurement and
  3. provide the fundamental principles, requirements, and procedures of the MFM system.

The standard focuses on the metering operation providing the procedures and requirements of handling the MFM system in a bunker delivery operation. The guidelines also ensure that the MFM system continues to maintain its conformity to the prescribed requirements, through equipment metrological verification and regular certification by independent inspection companies, thereby further strengthening confidence and assurance in ports that adopt MFMs for bunkering.

The IBIA Bunker Licensing and MFM Working Group supports all ports in their implementation of MFMs. An international standard like the ISO22192 will harmonise MFM practices and requirements, thus avoiding confusion among industry stakeholders.

Embracing Digitalisation 

In today's digital landscape, the adoption of MFM will support the further use of the electronic Bunker Delivery Note ("electronic BDN") which was formally approved at MEPC 80. MFM are an important solution to streamline digitalisation for end-to-end bunker operations as this can support real time measurement and operational information needed for the use of electronic BDNs.

In this respect, it is expected that other international bunker ports will need to consider the adoption of MFMs to remain relevant and utilising an established and harmonised international standard offers a strong solution in this direction.

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IBIA is hosting the IBIA Annual Convention 2023 in Dubai in November.

The convention will be held at the Queen Elizabeth II Hotel in Dubai on November 7-9. For more information, click here.

About IBIA

IBIA

The International Bunker Industry Association exists to provide an international forum to address the concerns of all sectors of the international bunker industry.

The Association currently has over 450 organisations within its membership representing all within the marine fuel supply chain - "from the wellhead to the engine".

IBIA exists to represent the industry in discussions and negotiations with international and national policy makers, legislators and other stakeholders.

We review, clarify, improve, develop and endorse where appropriate, industry methods, practices and documentation.

Our objective is to increase the professional understanding and competence of all who work in the industry.

We represent the Marine fuels supply industry at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

IBIA actively seeks to involve its members through its technical work groups, regional forums and annual convention to conclude on major issues and topics of the time, creating the "IBIA Position" to present to IMO and to industry.

IBIA champions the continued development of professionals within the bunker industry through its training programmes and publications.

We provide services and facilities for members and stakeholders as the Board shall from time to time consider appropriate.

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