• 2019 October 21 17:05

    Blockchain and DNA-based marine fuels tracking solution BunkerTrace goes live

    On Friday, BunkerTrace, the unique blockchain and DNA- based fuels tracking solution, announced its commercial launch shortly after a successful trial in the Netherlands on Thursday, October 3, which was conducted in partnership with Cooperative Bebeka. Announcing the launch at Aracon, BunkerTrace is now ready to receive requests for commercial partnerships and adoption by bunker suppliers, ports and operators.

    The solution, which adds DNA markers to fuel at every stage of the supply chain and records each transaction in a blockchain-based system, has already received significant interest from ports, bunker suppliers and vessel operators.

    Harry Vasse, General Director at Cooperative Bebeka, commented:

    “Managing the energy procurement now and in the future has our highest priority. Energy procurement is about sustainability, transparency and environment. CSR reporting takes place at boardroom level since company reputation is at stake. With the product portfolio in the marine energy market becoming increasingly complex and diverse in the near future our focus is on expertise and continuously developing of member protection tools and this is why we fully support the BunkerTrace initiative. Combining these two revolutionary technologies will provide the Cooperative and its members with an independent and transparent method for managing fuel quality throughout the bunker chain. Furthermore, it will support us in identifying the most reliable and trustworthy supply chains and streamline compliance.”

    BunkerTrace CEO Marc Johnson commented:

    “As IMO 2020 approaches, we’re seeing fundamental changes to the dynamics of the bunkering market, which in turn creates uncertainty and risk: risk for owners, charterers, credit providers and financiers in the fuels they buy or fund; risk for insurers in establishing the risks they must manage; risk for operators and the fuels they burn; and for enforcers policing the fuels market. That’s why BunkerTrace exists.

    “We’d like to thank all our industry partners, colleagues, friends and supporters who’ve helped us get this far so quickly. From Maritime Blockchain Labs’ first consortium in early 2018 to our successful pilot operation in Antwerp/Vlissingen some weeks ago, we’ve come a long way. However, there’s a long journey ahead and we’re inviting stakeholders throughout the industry to join us here.”

    By combining blockchain and DNA-based tagging, BunkerTrace creates an immutable audit trail, which follows the fuel and any changes made to it. It also records all activities and sign-offs by actors transacting the fuel. BunkerTrace provides evidence of compliance with IMO 2020 and ensures that at every point in the supply chain, it’s easy for stakeholders to check if the fuel they are moving, loading, buying or selling is the product that it’s meant to be, even if fuel has been blended or mixed.

    In the recent trial, a Boskalis-owned dredger, Prins der Nederlanden was bunkered with 900 cubic meters (CBM) of DMA 0.1% sulphur ISO 8217:2010 compliant fuel supplied by Minerva with a unique tracer added. The crew then successfully detected this mark with an on-board analysis case that took less than one minute, with the result of the test logged in a blockchain- based transaction record.

    About Bunkertrace:
    BunkerTrace is a joint venture between Forecast Technology Ltd. and BLOC (Blockchain Labs for Open Collaboration). For owners and managers looking to discern the integrity of a fuel product before it’s loaded, BunkerTrace combines digital and forensic technologies to create an inclusive support system that enhances marine fuel traceability and provides a clear chain of custody for better quality assurance in the bunker fuel supply chain. To tag the fuels, it uses ‘oligonucleotides’ (short single strands of synthetic DNA) to provide a virtually unlimited number of unique, secure codes (fingerprints), which are encoded with the information on quality and origin of fuels from the BunkerTrace solution. Taken together, these elements create an immutable chain of custody audit trail that follows the fuel, and any changes made to it, throughout the supply chain and records all activities and sign offs by actors transacting the fuel. The prototype for BunkerTrace was developed by the Maritime Blockchain Labs (MBL) consortium, funded by the Lloyds Register Foundation.


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17:35 Latvian port equipment manufacturer Bleste introduces new bulk handling ‘bucket’
17:05 Investors upgrade Navios Maritime Partners
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12:26 Ocean Network Express announces Transpacific service
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2024 March 27

18:22 Bureau Veritas awards world’s first prototype certification for SolarDuck’s floating offshore solar solution
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14:53 Ocean Installer secures yet another SLM contract with Equinor
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13:42 Carnival Cruise Line orders 5th Excel-class cruise ship
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12:52 The Port Authority of Valencia launches the ZAL project in the Port of Valencia
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10:49 Seaspan Shipyards receives long-term contracts for the pre-construction work of the the Canadian Coast Guard's first six multi-mission vessels
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2024 March 26

18:02 COSCO Shipping Lines introduces new Americas service
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16:57 Terntank places an order for 1+1 additional wind/ methanol-ready hybrid tanker
16:28 BW LNG completes acquisition of two TFDE vessels from Stena Bulk
15:50 Hanwha Ocean develops VR-based special vehicle simulator
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14:52 Wärtsilä Lifecycle Agreement to guarantee operational reliability of new wind farm installation vessel
14:23 Hudong-Zhonghua launches two LNG carriers
13:51 Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge
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12:42 Adani Ports acquires 95% of Odisha's Gopalpur Port from SP Group for $162 million
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11:16 Wartsila and Royal Caribbean Group celebrate 15 years of collaboration on digital transformation
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2024 March 25

18:07 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore continues to investigate reports of oil spills off the port of Tuas
17:31 “K” Line, NIPPON HAKUYO and OPT Gate sign an agreement for a new fire detection system for car carriers
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14:40 Taiwan International Port to upgrade terminal facility at Kaohsiung
13:59 Сruise ship Carnival Freedom catches fire near Bahamas
12:59 Hanwha Ocean wins 2.4 tln-won order for 8 LNG ships
11:16 Inland Ports meet in Paris to talk about the innovation potential of inland ports
10:50 IMO agrees possible outline for maritime “net-zero framework”
10:24 Hapag-Lloyd to continue to avoid the Red Sea route
09:58 QatarEnergy enters time charter agreements with Nakilat for the operation of 25 LNG vessels

2024 March 24

16:18 Inchgreen Marine Park upgraded as part of £11m investment
15:14 A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Solent Rail Terminal Rail was held at the Port of Southampton
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13:07 First LNG powered vessel calls at HIP
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11:32 Equinor ASA posts net income at USD 11.9 billion in 2023
09:25 Edda Wind announces the sale of Edda Passat