The first version of the fuel-agnostic Bunker Operations Audit tool has been published in October for IAPH members only and is available for ports to meet the growing demand for license applications in multiple fuels such as methanol, hydrogen and ammonia. Looking ahead, operators applying for licenses to operate bunkering facilities in multiple locations will also be able to benefit from this new IAPH tool.

The toolkit ensures that, at the front-end, the responsibilities of the bunker facility operator with respect to safe and sustainable operations are clearly defined and that careful consideration is given to the way bunker operations are organised. Ultimately the tool serves to assess the compatibility of a candidate bunker operator’s safety management system by ports and competent authorities. The essence of the tool is that ports may use this to ensure the quality of bunker operators and hence safe bunker operations in the port.

Clean Marine Fuels Working Group Chair Peter Alkema, who is policy advisor of the Port of Amsterdam commented: “Almost six years to the day we proudly announced the launch of the LNG Bunker Operations Audit tool. Back then we expected that with the thorough work done by Working Group members on an industry standard-level template for licensing LNG bunkering operations, we could apply the lessons learnt and methodologies adopted to other alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methanol and ammonia. The launch of this fuel agnostic version is proof of that expectation”

Aside from being developed by diverse port authorities who are permanent members alongside partner Panthallasa, the Clean Marine Fuels Working Group invited several important participants to take part in the industry consultation on the audit toolkit from classification societies, bunker operators, oil and gas majors as well as shipowners.

The toolkit, which consists of the eight-step audit tool, a complete guidance manual for use, a full intake form for candidate bunker operators and user license with terms and conditions, has been specially developed to allow for manual as well as electronic data entry with easy-to-use templates. These take into account the need for audits to take place at management level, and on site at bunkering facilities themselves.

The toolkit is currently available to IAPH members only and is planned to be made available to non-members on a subscription basis by the end of the year.

Source: IAPH