Bureau Veritas releases new ‘biofuel ready’ notation for shipping industry

French classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) has issued a new ‘biofuel ready’ notation to support the wider deployment of biofuels in the shipping industry.

BV said that this notation will help the maritime industry address the main challenges related to the use of biofuels by ships, providing requirements to ensure ship safety and environmental compliance.

The notation aims at helping shipowners to be prepared for the use of biofuels or biofuel blends by providing a set of requirements and outlining a comprehensive methodology for the required documentation and testing, taking into account the fuel’s technical specifications.

It certifies that the conditions to use biofuel onboard a ship have been successfully met and any testing to check NOx emissions (if applicable) has been completed satisfactorily. The notation can be applied to both new and existing ships, BV explained.

The classification society expects that this new notation will enable shipowners to take advantage of their preliminary work with the use of biofuels, while also helping them to be prepared in order to obtain Flag Administration acceptance with regards to MARPOL Annex VI requirements on NOx emissions.

“… This new notation is an important addition to the existing toolbox on the road to the IMO’s 2030 and 2050 GHG and carbon reduction targets. It is also an example of our continued commitment to supporting our clients on their decarbonisation journey, by providing the independent expertise and validation that helps the industry safely progress innovative solutions”, said Laurent Leblanc, senior vice president of Technical & Operations at BV.

This comes shortly after the latest meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 78) approved an interpretation of regulation 18.3 of MARPOL Annex VI aimed at clarifying and streamlining the use of biofuels in the maritime industry.

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