Independently accredited service will help ensure accuracy and reliability of bunker quantities
Posted on: 8 October 2024
Lloyd’s Register (LR) and measurement solution specialist Metcore have launched an independent accredited certification service to certify the accuracy and reliability of the quantity of fuel received via Mass Flow Meters (MFM). The service provides an additional conformity assessment of the installed meters, positioned, used, maintained and continually certified to the ISO 22192:2021 standard.
The demand for greater accuracy in delivered bunker quantities, coupled with the need for greater transparency, security and process automation, is fuelling the widespread adoption of MFMs across the bunker industry. In 2017, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore mandated the use of MFM for bunkering operations. SOHAR Port and Freezone has announced a mandate from the start of 2025 and the Port of Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges are also set to introduce mandatory use of MFMs in 2026.
To help address the concerns that shipowners and bunker buyers have with the use of MFM on bunker tankers, the LR-Metcore MFM certification service aims to minimise the likely causes of measurement error and ensure that the MFM system serviceability extends beyond its initial qualification at installation. Its post-approval conformity assessment program includes metering-data analysis to monitor crew competency to help maintain secure integrity for continual measurement performance.
In the event of a dispute, the service also offers an independent bunker delivery MFM digital data review as part of the investigation process, helping ensure all parties can carry out a detailed review of the data.
Lewis Cox, LR’s FOBAS Business Development Area Manager, said: “With the potential to eliminate bunker quantity disputes, minimise turnaround time and boost confidence in delivery data – particularly as ship operators seek to account for emissions from the fuel they consume – using Mass Flow Meters seems to be a win for all stakeholders. But the reality of adopting them is not necessarily as straightforward. With the new LR-Metcore MFM certification service, bunkering stakeholders will have peace of mind that their installed meters are certified in conformity with internationally recognised standards for enhanced transparency and trust.”
The MFM certification service is founded on LR’s extensive expertise in fuel quality testing and its conventional bunker quantity measurement service. It delivers a one-stop-shop solution to bunker tanker operators, helping ensure that MFM technologies on their tankers are compliant for bunker deliveries where the MFM has been adopted by the supply company and or the port as a whole.
