Time for renewing 2010 Bunker Certificates 

Before 20 February 2010, the insurance certificates for damages caused by bunker oil must be renewed. Danish ships with a gross tonnage of or above 1,000 are covered by the insurance requirement and are not permitted to proceed to sea without having a valid certificate on board. Ships without valid Bunker Certificates will be detained.

In order to ensure that the ships have valid certificates after 20 February 2010, it is recommended to submit the application to the Danish Maritime Authority as soon as possible.

It is possible to apply electronically by means of the application form which is available from the webpage of the Danish Maritime Authority.

The original declaration from the insurance company, the so-called Blue Card, confirming that the ship has taken out insurance against damages caused by bunker oil in accordance with the Bunkers Convention is to be submitted to the Danish Maritime Authority. However, an electronic copy of the declaration from the insurance company is acceptable if the insurance has been issued by a Protection & Indemnity Club (P&I Club)* that is a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs. The e-mail address is bunkercertifikat@oem.dk.

A cost-related fee of DKK 1,300 is to be paid for the issuance of the certificate. The certificate will be issued for the period for which the insurance is valid. Consequently, the new certificates will be valid until 20 February 2011.

The certificate will not be issued until the payment has been recorded. The original certificate is to be kept on board the ship.

The requirement for a Bunker Certificate also applies to all foreign ships with a gross tonnage of or above 1,000 that either call at a Danish port or another place of loading or unloading in Denmark or on the Danish continental shelf or that want to operate permanently in Danish territorial waters. In such cases, the Danish Maritime Authority can issue Bunker Certificates for ships from countries that have not acceded to the Bunkers Convention. For foreign ships calling at a Danish port, the Bunker Certificate is issued for a maximum period of 3 months. For ships operating permanently in Danish territorial waters, the validity of the certificate will be determined after a specific assessment and for a maximum period until 20 February 2011.

The provisions on Bunker Certificates are described in more detail in Order no. 838 of 18 August 2008 on Certificates of Insurance or Other Financial Security in Respect of Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage

* P&I clubs are non-profit associations providing cover for its shipowner members against third party liabilities relating to the use and operation of ships. The International Group of P&I Clubs is the worldwide association of P&I Clubs.