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…
June 12, 2025
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
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