MEPC 80: IBIA welcomes IMO’s guidance on use of biofuels

IMO’s clarification on the use of biofuels is an “acceptable compromise” to improve the CII rating of the vessels, the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) said.

PHOTO: Rows of stacked biofuel drums. Getty Images

CII is a measure to evaluate a ship’s fuel efficiency. It is expressed in grams of CO2 emitted per mt of cargo and nautical mile. The ship is then given ratings between A to E (A being the highest) every year, and the rating criterion is expected to become stricter by 2030.

The IMO issued interim guidelines on the sustainability criteria for using onboard vessels during its 80th Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80) meeting last week.

IMO proposed that biofuels must be certified by international certification schemes. They must also provide a well-to-wake GHG emissions reduction of at least 65% compared to the well-to-wake emissions of fossil MGO. Additionally, they would be required to provide “Proof of Sustainability” during bunker delivery.

The biofuel blends meeting the former sustainability criteria could use a carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion factor equal to the well-to-wake GHG emissions factor, said IBIA.

The IBIA clarified that the CO2 emission conversion factor (Cf) for blends would be the “weighted average of the Cf for the respective amount of fuels by energy.” However, blends that did not meet the criteria would have the same conversion factor as fossil fuel equivalents.

“It was a hard-fought for outcome in a debate with diverging views,” said the bunker association as some countries, including India and China, called on the IMO to include biofuels under the alternative fuels umbrella. This proposal, however, was opposed by others, such as the G7 nations.

“Many feared it would open the door to unsustainable biofuels and preferred to wait for this to be fully addressed under the LCA guidelines, which are still under development.”

By Konica Bhatt

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