“This year is poised to be transformative and I’m excited about what we can achieve together."
Director's Log
The energy of a fresh year still surrounds us as we turn plans into action. In 2025, we are focusing on key areas to drive meaningful progress and create a lasting impact.
This year, we’ll continue to improve how we work with our members and stakeholders and will enhance communications across the committees. In March, the Secretariat and the seven committee chairs will meet to prioritise key initiatives and review the collective work plan. By sharing details and resolving challenges, we can then develop schedules that reduce travel and respect and value each member’s commitment and time.
We will ensure our members can see and seize the opportunities OCIMF offers. Member expertise and participation enables us to deliver high-quality work, and we’re committed to making it even easier for members to get involved. Whether you're a new member or one who has been committed for years, we want you to feel connected, informed and empowered to contribute. We are creating a five-year business plan framework to ensure financial sustainability and enable OCIMF to continue delivering exceptional value to its members and the maritime industry.
Finally, we will ensure quality, confidence and uptake in all our programmes. We will progress our data project, maintain vigilance on SIRE governance, and refocus on OVID, BIRE and the Management Self Assessments.
This year is poised to be transformative and I’m excited about what we can achieve together.
Karen Davis
Director OCIMF
OCIMF invited to InterManager panel discussion
OCIMF was invited to InterManager’s pre-AGM seminar focused on seafarers’ wellbeing, held in London on 29 January 2025. OCIMF was represented by P&A Director Darron Biddle and Nautical Adviser Kevin Coelho.
OCIMF, along with Sandra Welch from the Seafarers Hospital Society, Taner Umac from Rightship, Karen Avelino from the Philippines Transmarine Carriers and Kuba Syzmanski from InterManager, served as panellists for the discussion, “Future of our Industry – How to Deal with Current Challenges of Recruitment, Enclosed Space Deaths, Lifeboat Accidents, and Criminalisation”.
A good discussion took place, both among the panel and with the wider participants representing the industry. Darron Biddle explained OCIMF’s cross-industry work on the topic of enclosed space incidents, while also recognising the risks related to launching of survival craft, having published the information paper, Management of Survival craft on Fixed/Floating Offshore Installations in December 2023. OCIMF has no active work specifically related to seafarer recruitment and criminalisation of seafarers, but does recognise that these challenges have an impact on our members and the larger maritime community.
For further information, contact Darron Biddle, OCIMF P&A Director, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein! or Kevin Coelho, OCIMF Nautical Adviser, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!.
EU environmental meetings
Martin Young, OCIMF Environmental Adviser, participated virtually in two related EU meetings on 11 February.
The first meeting was the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF) subgroup on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV)/Emission Trading System (ETS). This has been used by Directorate General Clima to help refine the Guidance Notes for the Fuel EU Maritime that came into effect from January 2025. The latest meeting considered Guidance Notes (GD3) on verification for member states that should help address concerns about consistency by the administering authorities. The subgroup will next meet in March 2025 to discuss the report on how the extension of EU ETS to shipping from January 2024 was implemented.
Next was the inaugural meeting of the new workstream on offshore emissions. This will focus on the extension of scope of the EU ETS to include offshore vessels over 5,000 GT from 1 January 2027. It will look at a) quick wins by improving/refining definitions and b) longer-term issues to determine what might need to change with EU legislation. The offshore workstream is being run under the MRV-ETS subgroup and is likely to align with its timings. OCIMF is attending future offshore workstream meetings.
For more information, contact Martin Young, OCIMF Environmental Adviser, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
Engineering Expert Group
12th meeting: 5 February 2025 (virtual)
Lead: Dave Deltano (Marathon)
Co-lead: Kevin Lappage (BP)
Secretary: Lexy Nielsen (OCIMF Engineering Adviser)
The 12th meeting of the Engineering Expert Group (EEG) highlighted the work completed in 2024 and the group prioritised the projects for 2025. A new Lead and Co-Lead were chosen and approved by the group. The EEG discussed its participation at the IMO supporting the energy transition, including Correspondence and Working Groups developing guidelines for the use of alternative fuels. The group finalised discussions around the Risk Advisory Function on the application of Pressurised Hot Work Habitats aboard tankers. The EEG will begin the revision of the information paper Safety Critical Equipment and Spare Parts Review and agreed to assist the Structures Expert Group with the revision of Recommendations for Oil and Chemical Tanker Manifolds.
For enquiries, contact Lexy Nielsen, OCIMF Engineering Adviser, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!.
IMO News
IMO Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gases
The 18th session of the IMO Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gases (ISWG-GHG 18) met from 17–21 February as part of the process to agree mid-term measures necessary to implement the IMO’s revised 2023 GHG Strategy. OCIMF’s Environmental Adviser and Risk and Regulatory Affairs Adviser attended.
The mid-term measures will consist of technical and economic components with proposals to progressively reduce maritime GHG emissions to net-zero around 2050. The economic proposals have coalesced into two camps:
- A levy-based measure supported by a broad group of ‘50+’ consisting of the EU, UK, Japan, Mexico, Panama and various small island developing states (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs).
- A compliance fee/rebate mechanism supported by China, BRICS and many in Latin America.
Bridging proposals that seek to find common ground between the two camps and further discussions between member states are expected in the period until the next intersessional. ISWG-GHG 19 will be held from 31 March to 1 April, shortly before MEPC 83 (7–11 April) when the mid-term measures are due to be agreed.
12th session of the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 12)
PPR 12 was held at the IMO headquarters from 27–31 January 2025, with the following developments taking place.
MARPOL Annexes I and II - Oil and Chemical tanker matters
- Finalisation of draft interim guidance for carriage of biofuels of up to 30% biogenic content – an attempt to harmonise MARPOL Annex I and Annex VI NOx requirements regarding biofuels.
- Proposals on tank prewash procedures for high viscosity products, and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) cargoes – expert working group to undertake in-depth discussions during November 2025.
The aquatic environment
- Management of wash water from Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) – discussion on the environmental impact of EGCS discharge water remains inconclusive, to continue during PPR 13 in 2026.
- Finalisation of guidance for planning and conducting in-water hull cleaning operations.
- Plastic pellets – proposals seeking mandatory regulations for carriage of pellets gain traction.
Matters relating to air pollution
- Black Carbon emissions and pollution mitigation in the Arctic region – exploring the concept of ‘polar fuels’ and their desired characteristics.
- NOx emissions and finalisation of 2025 Guidelines on Selective Catalytic Reduction abatement systems – includes new best practices and lessons learned through implementing the previous 2017 guidance.
11th session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 11)
HTW 11 was held at the IMO headquarters from 10–14 February 2025, with the following developments taking place. 
Comprehensive review of the International Convention of Standards on Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW)
- Completion of Phase 1 – agreement on an extensive list of identified gaps in the STCW regulations to be addressed during the next phase of work.
- Work plan for Phase 2 and updated roadmap – development of amendments, followed by adoption of revised STCW Convention and Code expected by 2031 at the earliest.
New technologies and the human element
- Training for seafarers on ships using new technologies and fuels – development of interim guidance and a plan for the way forward on technology-and fuel-specific training.
- Impact of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships on seafarer training highlighted during the session.
Summary reports for PPR 12 and HTW 11 will be issued in due course via AFM to members. For enquiries regarding IMO matters, contact Abhijit Aul, Risk and Regulatory Affairs Adviser, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!.