Institute of Bunker Buyers & Consumers joins IBIA
The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and the Institute of Bunker Buyers & Consumers (IBBC) announce that IBBC will become a sub-group of IBIA.
The IBBC is a forum and business network for marine fuel purchasers to discuss general experience in relation to day-to-day marine bunker fuel procurement tasks, regulatory changes and commercial developments within the bunker market.
Formed in July 2015, IBBC is an emerging organisation whose members have already held a series of meetings, but it hasn’t yet communicated its thinking on issues outside the group. By integrating with IBIA, the IBBC members expect IBIA to provide a conduit in which consolidated messages can be passed to suppliers and other entities.
IBIA Chief Executive Peter Hall says: “I’m delighted that the IBBC has decided to join IBIA and I believe this will be a boost for both organisations. It will give buyers a stronger and more effective voice within the industry through IBIA, while at the same time increase IBIA’s membership, strength and influence. The IBBC having a dedicated group to discuss their concerns within our global bunker industry association will further IBIA’s aims of representing all industry stakeholders and having more buyers within our ranks will be very beneficial to all.”
Among the aims of the IBBC is to develop general best practice standards which relate to the whole marine bunker fuel procurement industry. This fits perfectly with IBIA’s ethos and activities of supporting industry best practices through education, information, and development of standards in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. For example, IBIA is part of an International Maritime Organization (IMO) correspondence group on fuel quality seeking to identify best practice guidance globally for fuel purchases.
The IBBC will continued to organise bunker buyer specific events to discuss their particular concerns, but by being part of IBIA, their concerns can be better heard and understood to form part of IBIA’s overall efforts to address industry issues.