CEO’s welcome: Forum focus

Justin Murphy introducing the IBIA & Port of Rotterdam forum

Today, we are bringing you a newsletter based almost exclusively on presentations and discussions at two collaborative forums which IBIA co-hosted during April and May. We wanted to share with you some of the many insights from high quality speakers on the key subjects these two events covered.

The “2020: Getting down to business” forum, jointly organised by IBIA and UK Chamber of Shipping on 19 April, was an eye-opener for many. The subject for the day – you guessed it – was how we prepare for the shift from the current 3.50% global sulphur limit to just 0.50% sulphur, due to take effect on 1 January 2020.

In collaboration with the UK Chamber, which hosted the event at their London offices, we brought together a range of stakeholders and heard presentations from suppliers, fuel quality experts, regulators and shipping companies. We have six articles based on input from this day.

We also bring you three articles from “Bunkering in the digital age (MFM and more)”, a technology forum jointly organised by IBIA and the Port of Rotterdam at the port’s headquarters on May 16. Are mass flow meters (MFMs) the way forward for the bunker industry? The answer to this question depends on who you ask, and generated lively debate.

We heard from companies with MFM experiences and about how it impacts on the role of bunker quantity surveyors. The forum also covered the role of technology in improving transparency, not just for quantity measurements but also with regards to bunker sampling, and about how digitalisation tools can improve efficiency – whether it is used to streamline the issuing of bunker delivery notes or accessing information about ports.

We would like once again to thank our event sponsors: Dan-Bunkering for the 2020 forum in London and VT Group and Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) for the Rotterdam forum. Without their support we would not be able to host quality events like these.

In addition to our forum coverage, we also share our perspective on the growing pressure the International Maritime Organization is facing to deliver specific commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There is a proposal from shipping organisations which offers a possible way forward.

Our industry is undergoing some significant changes and IBIA is a firm supporter of working collectively in order to better understand and manage these challenges. Collaborating with like-minded organisations in the two recent forums serves the interests of us all and ensures that we play our role in keeping all sides of the bunker industry well informed.