IMO to step up fuel oil flash point monitoring

The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) latest amendment will require bunker suppliers to specify flash points in bunker delivery notes for fuel oil supplied.

PHOTO: IMO headquarters in London, UK. Getty Images

The IMO has adopted amendments to the SOLAS Chapter II-2 regulation, mandating bunker suppliers to provide ships with bunker delivery notes stating that the flash point of the actual fuel batch is in conformity with the flash point requirement of SOLAS.

The IMO has further requested governments and authorities to share details of cases where bunker suppliers have delivered fuels that have failed to meet the SOLAS flash point requirements. It says appropriate action will be taken against those suppliers.

The amendments were adopted at IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee meeting (MSC 106) held between 2-11 November.

Flash point is the lowest temperature at which fuel ignites and is a major safety requirement in shipping. A low flash point fuel ignites faster and poses a risk of fire and explosion onboard vessels and in fuel storage areas.

The amendments will enter into force from 1 May 2024.

By Nithin Chandran

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