IMO Revision of Marpol Guidelines

Shipowners and operators have been urged to review their fuel and lubricating oil sampling practices following the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s revision of its MARPOL guidelines, reports the Oils & Fats International on June 10.
Welcoming the changes to the guidelines, maritime monitoring company CM Technologies (CMT) said the changes offered the industry an opportunity to raise standards, reduce risk and improve transparency throughout the fuel supply chain.
 
Recent amendments to MARPOL Annex VI and SOLAS Chapter II-2 include a 50% increase in the required sample volume and stricter expectations around equipment, handling and record-keeping. The IMO’s updated protocol, MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.18, mandates that fuel samples collected for MARPOL compliance should now be a minimum of 600ml, up from the previous 400ml. This change ensures there is sufficient material to perform both sulphur content testing under MARPOL and flash point testing under SOLAS requirements. It also reinforces proper sampling procedures, including the use of tamper-evident containers, accurate labelling and secure onboard storage.