SPRING Singapore and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore launch the first standard in the world for both bunker suppliers and surveyors.
SPRING Singapore and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have launched a new standard, the Singapore Standard SS 600: 2008 – Code of Practice for Bunkering, to further enhance consistency in practices in the delivery of bunkers for ships calling at Singapore’s port.
The launch of this national standard for bunker suppliers and surveyors – a first in the world – was announced by Mr. Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Singapore International Bunkering Conference (SIBCON 2008).
SS 600 sets out guidelines and procedures to ensure that the correct quality and quantity of bunkers are being delivered safely and efficiently. By enhancing the procedures and requirements for the delivery of bunkers by bunker tankers to vessels as well as the work of bunker surveyors, the new standard will boost Singapore’s position in the bunkering industry.
SS 600 will be enforced by MPA for all bunkering operations and bunker surveying works in Singapore. This standard which will replace the two current standards: SS CP 60: 2004 (Bunkering by Bunker Tankers) and SS CP 77: 1999 (Bunker Surveying) will be adopted by the bunkering industry in the second half of 2009.
Besides obtaining a license from MPA to conduct bunkering business in Singapore’s port, bunker suppliers, craft operators and surveyors will have to comply with SS 600 when carrying out their operations. The standard will also serve as the technical basis for resolution, should there be any disputes.
SS 600 combines the requirements of SS CP 60 and SS CP 77 to form a single document for the bunkering industry. Key changes in the new standard include the requirement to make declaration on meeting the IMO (International Maritime Organization) regulation to prevent air pollution from ships; to enhance sample integrity; and to standardize all bunkering documents to reduce disputes.
To help the bunkering industry better understand the requirements of the new standard, SPRING will be organizing a workshop on SS 600 in November 2008 with standards experts as the speakers. MPA will also be working with the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) to continue providing training to help the bunkering industry meet the requirements of SS 600.
SS 600 was developed by the National Technical Committee on Bunkering under the Singapore standardization program led by SPRING Singapore. The committee comprised representatives from MPA, the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA), International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), bunker suppliers, shipping companies and testing laboratories.
More than one thousand participants attended SIBCON 2008, which is the largest gathering in the world for marine fuels professionals. It was organized by MPA to share information and discuss issues on the developments of the global bunkering industry.