The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) on September 18, 2023, issued a draft of the merchant shipping notice regarding the use of bio-fuel and its blends on Indian ships.
The aim of this notice is to permit Indian ships to use biofuel and its blends as drop-in fuels, and therefore, this notice prescribes requirements for only the liquid drop-in biofuels that are most likely to be compatible with distillate and residual marine fuels.
The notice will be applicable to all sea-going Indian Ships registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, and to all bunker suppliers registered with the Government of India in accordance with Annexure VI, Regulation 18 of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and intending to supply biofuels or its blends to Indian ships or foreign ships in Indian waters.
The following has been stated:
• Requirements of biofuel and its blends supplied to ships:
The specification is required to be compatible with the machinery and equipment, and compliant with the applicable statutory requirements. In all cases, the biofuel should be free of deleterious materials.
• Requirements of BDN and Test Results and Other Certifications to be given to ships:
The Product Name, as entered onto the bunker delivery note, should be of sufficient detail to identify whether, and to what extent, a biofuel is blended into the product as supplied.
• Sustainability Certification:
No biofuels should be supplied to ships in unblended or blended form without having been certified by an international certification scheme, and meeting its sustainability criteria. The Sustainability Schemes are International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) and Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and equivalent.
• Approval of Bunker Suppliers:
Existing approved Bunker suppliers scan supply biofuel so it blends to ships subject to the implementation of quality control procedures in its quality manual and informing IRS of the intention to supply biofuel and its blends meeting the requirement of this notice.
• Approval by a Recognized Organization:
All the Recognized Organizations can recommend certification of a ship to operate on biofuels subject to compliance with this notice.
• The NOx Certification:
o The Fuel oil which is a blend of not more than 30% by volume of bio-fuel and which does not require changes to its NOx critical components or settings/operating values outside those as given by that engine’s approved Technical File, will be considered falling.
o The RO to verify the annual fuel consumption and CII based on the BDN copies and Proof of Sustainability of the biofuel as submitted by the Ship owner/manager.
This Notice supersedes the DGS Circular 18 of 2022.
All stakeholders are requested to submit their comments to [email protected] by October 03, 2023.
The Format (Annexure) regarding the Permission to Use Sustainable Biofuels and Its Blends of Fuel Oil is attached to the document below.
[File No. 13-20011/3/2020-ENGG - DGS (C.N. 3205)]
