Mass flow meters set to become mandatory in Rotterdam

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is currently working to make the use of mass flow meters (MFMs) mandatory for bunkering, and more details are likely due by the end of this year, a source says.

PHOTO: Oil refinery and storage tanks in the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands. Getty Images

The move is seen in response to calls from several industry players, including global bunker supplier TFG Marine.

In August this year, TFG Marine joined 50 other industry players in urging the port authorities of Rotterdam and Antwerp to follow Singapore’s lead and mandate use of MFMs.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) mandated the use of MFMs for fuel oil deliveries in 2017. Two years later, it mandated the use of MFMs for all bunker deliveries including distillates. Since then, Singapore, the world's biggest port by bunker sales volume, is viewed as the world’s most reliable bunker location, TFG Marine said earlier.

MFM systems generate real-time records of the exact volume of fuel delivered to ships. Both counterparties have access to the same data, ensuring transparency in bunker deliveries.

“The port authority expects to be able to communicate more about this intention by the end of the year,” the source says.

By Shilpa Sharma

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