About CMF
The IAPH Clean Marine Fuels Working Group aims to offer ship owners as broad a spectrum of alternative fuels as possible in order to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in and around ports and harbors. As an IAPH network of Port Authority engineers working together for over decade, unique insights have been acquired into alternative clean marine fuels by taking international standards and applying them in practice for bunkering at ports. The Working Group cooperates with standards agencies, industry associations, classification societies, oil majors, terminals, bunker operators and ship owners to create practical tools for ports that facilitate safe and efficient bunker operations for existing and future low and zero-carbon fuels for ships.
For more information, visit the recently-updated IAPH Clean Marine Fuels Working Group portal
Audit Tool
The IAPH has developed an LNG bunker suppliers accreditation model which ports can use as a base for their accreditation system. Details of such a system are to be filled in by the ports themselves, taking national and local requirements in to account. An accreditation system for LNG bunker suppliers has the objective to impose safe operations. In such a system, LNG bunker suppliers have to comply with the port’s accreditation qualifications in order to attain a license for performing LNG bunker operations.
Any IAPH port can license a bunkering company in their area, based on an equal system and auditing tool. No need for the individual ports to go through the entire audit process. Same story for the LNG bunkering company. Sounds like a win-win, right?
Please read the Terms & Conditions before you request a download of the IAPH Audit Tool.
Bunker checklists
One of the main objectives of the working group was to create harmonized LNG bunker checklists for known LNG bunkering scenarios. These checklists reflect the extra requirements of ports with regard to LNG bunkering operations in or near their port environment. By using bunkering checklists, a high level of quality and responsibility of the LNG bunker operators can be obtained.
Implementing harmonized bunker checklists in ports will also be of great benefit to the vessels (and their crew) bunkering LNG in other ports because it will reduce the potential confusion caused by having to comply with different rules and regulations in different ports.
The working group has developed three bunkering checklists for implementation in ports:
Bunkering checklist Truck to Ship
Bunkering checklist Ship to Ship
Bunkering checklist Bunker Station to Ship
Click here to download the Bunker checklists.
Terminal readiness
The increasing uptake of LNG-fueled newbuild and retrofitted vessels means terminals need to be ready to receive them and to be able to do safe cargo handling during LNG bunkering operations. Although these vessels are safe by design, terminals need to prepare by reviewing their existing (terminal – vessel interface) safety procedures given the risk level associated with this fuel compared to conventional fuel types.
The IAPH CMF workgroup has compiled a guidance document on procedural and operational preparedness of a terminal to assure a safe handling of LNG-fueled vessels, including a safe ship-to-ship LNG bunkering of the LNG-fueled vessel alongside the terminal.
This will enable terminals to qualify as “LNG-ready terminal”, i.e. a terminal that has successfully aligned the procedures of its safety management system, the skills of its personnel and the preparedness of visitors such that it may handle LNG-fueled vessels in a safe way.
Before you download the LNG-ready terminal guidance document and checklist, please read the terms and conditions.
Environmental performance
With the imminent entry into force of the 0.50% sulphur limit on 1 January 2020, IMO regulations on fuel sulphur content and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are shaping the future of the marine industry. In April 2018, the IMO has also set targets to cut the shipping sector’s overall CO2 output by 50 percent by 2050. This will transform the fuels used by ships in the decades to come.
While LNG has received the most attention in the past few years as an alternative to heavy fuel oil to comply with international regulations, other alternative fuels are coming into play, including methanol and hydrogen.
Through an open, data-sharing information platform, the Clean Marine Fuels Working Group will build a knowledge base that will help ports to mitigate risks that may arise with the supply and transfer of new, clean marine fuels to ships.
The working group is preparing for further content to be published soon.
