Interim Guidance on the carriage of blends of biofuels and MARPOL Annex I Cargoes by conventional Bunker Ships

C25033 | 06 June 2025

Notice to: Owners / Operators / Surveyors : 

The International Marine Environment Protection Committee at its eighty-third session has approved “Interim Guidance on the carriage of blends of biofuels and MARPOL Annex I cargoes by conventional bunker ships”. The interim guidance is included as Annex to MEPC.1/Circ.917.

The Guidelines remind that:

• The list of approved biofuels can be found in the Annex 11 of MEPC.2/Circ.30 on “Provisional categorization of liquid substances in accordance with MARPOL Annex II and the IBC Code” which is updated every December.
• MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.17 provides that biofuel blends containing more than 1% but less than 75% of a MARPOL Annex I cargo are subject to MARPOL Annex II, with carriage requirements as set out in chapter 17 of the IBC Code.
• MEPC.1/Circ.879, the “Guidelines for the carriage of energy-rich fuels and their blends” set out that energy-rich products and their blends may be carried in conventional bunker ships subject to MARPOL Annex I when containing 75% or more of the energy-rich fuels, which are of biological origin or originate from non-petroleum sources.
• MEPC.1/Circ.795 defines biofuels, including NOx requirements. This definition includes:
  • Processed used cooking oils;
  • Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME);
  • Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE);
  • Straight vegetable oils (SVO);
  • Hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO);
  • Glycerol;
  • Other biomass to liquid (BTL) type products.

Points to Note:

Conventional bunker ships may transport blends of not more than 30% by volume of biofuel, as long as all residues or tank washings are discharged ashore unless the oil discharge monitoring equipment is approved for the biofuel blend(s) being shipped.

The IOPP certificate issued to a conventional bunker ship carrying blends between 25% and 30% by volume of biofuel or synthetic fuel does not need to be modified.

Act now

Owners / Operators of bunker vessels carrying biofuel blends are to take note of the contents of MEPC.1/Circ.917 and be guided accordingly.