IMO issues shipboard checklist for FAME-based biofuel blends

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued a Shipboard Biofuel Blend Checklist for FAME-based biofuels as an annex to document MEPC 85/INF.10, providing practical guidance for vessels bunkering and using biofuel blends.

The checklist was developed by the IBIA Technical Working Group as part of the ongoing update of the IBIA/BIMCO Shipmaster’s Bunkering Manual. It is intended to help vessel operators and crews address practical considerations when bunkering and consuming biofuel blends, particularly during their first use onboard.

Checklist covers fuel management and operations

The guidance addresses several aspects of onboard biofuel management, including fuel assessment, compatibility checks, tank preparation, water management and bunkering procedures.

It also covers fuel storage and monitoring of machinery performance, providing crews with a framework for managing operational considerations associated with FAME-containing marine fuels.

The checklist is based on CIMAC Guideline 04|2024, Marine fuels containing FAME, and is intended to serve as a practical tool for supporting fuel management onboard.

Guidance as biofuel use expands

The IMO said that as the use of biofuel blends in shipping continues to increase, clear and practical guidance for crews and vessel operators is becoming increasingly important.

The inclusion of the checklist in an IMO document makes the guidance available to the organisation’s membership and formally brings the work of the IBIA Technical Working Group into an IMO document.