UK-based bunker operator John H. Whitaker (Tankers) Limited secured chemical certification from Lloyd’s Register (LR) on behalf of the Isle of Man Flag Administration for its tanker Whitchampion to load, carry and blend Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME B100) onboard under IBC Code and MARPOL Annex II regulations.
The certification allows Whitchampion to perform onboard blending of biofuels with petroleum distillates and residual fuel oils. The operation is authorized within UK coastal waters under a Tri-Partite Agreement between the Isle of Man Flag and the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (UKMCA).
A second Whitaker tanker, Whitchallenger, will be undergoing a similar approval process and is expected to be certified later this year.
At present, bunker tankers certified under MARPOL Annex I are limited to carrying blends no more than 30% FAME under IMO regulations. Oil Fuels with higher bio-content fall under Interna-tional Bulk Chemical Code (IBC Code) and MARPOL Annex II, typically requiring full chemical tanker status. That regulation has, in effect, frozen out a significant portion of the conventional bunker tanker fleet from supporting mid-to-high-range biofuel blending.
Whitaker’s Whitchampion is the first LR-classed vessel to bridge that gap. Through comprehen-sive Gap Analysis and Risk Assessment against the IBC Code and MARPOL Annex II require-ments, LR developed an approach which involved mitigation of the assessed risks. This led to obtaining waivers/exemptions from the Flag Administration allowing this Annex I bunker tanker to gain chemical certification to carry FAME as cargo, without needing to convert to full chemical tanker status.
Tim Wilson, Principal Specialist Fuels and Emissions, LR, said: “This certification demon-strates a credible and commercially viable route for existing bunker tankers to participate in the energy transition. It sets a clear blueprint for others to follow, enabling owners to consider the possibility of adapting existing bunker tankers for sustainable fuel delivery without resorting to prohibitively expensive conversions or replacement with a chemical tanker.”
Tim Wilson, Principal Specialist Fuels and Emissions, LR (left) and Peter Howard, Technical Director at Whitaker Tankers. Image courtesy LR
