A Bunker Delivery Note is the document a fuel supplier gives a ship at the moment of delivery, stating what fuel went on board. MARPOL Annex VI makes it mandatory, sets out exactly what it must contain, and requires the ship to keep it for three years.
The legal basis is Regulation 18 of MARPOL Annex VI, and the required contents are listed in Appendix V. This page gives you that list in full, what to keep and for how long, where BDNs go wrong in practice, and why the document now carries far more weight than it used to.
What must appear on a Bunker Delivery Note
Appendix V to MARPOL Annex VI sets the minimum. A BDN that omits any of these does not meet the requirement:
- Name and IMO number of the receiving ship
- Port of delivery
- Date of commencement of delivery
- Name, address and telephone number of the fuel oil supplier
- Product name or names
- Quantity in metric tonnes
- Density at 15 °C, in kg/m³
- Sulphur content, as a percentage by mass
- A declaration, signed and certified by the supplier’s representative, that the fuel oil supplied conforms to Regulation 18
If you were looking for a Bunker Delivery Note sample or template, that list is the substance of it. Any format is acceptable as long as every one of those nine items is present.
How long you have to keep it
- The Bunker Delivery Note: three years after the fuel oil has been delivered on board, kept where it is readily available for inspection
- The MARPOL representative sample: until the fuel is substantially consumed, and in any case not less than 12 months from the time of delivery
Those two periods are different on purpose, and port state control checks both. Both clocks start at the bunkering operation itself.
Electronic Bunker Delivery Notes are allowed
This is the part most guides still get wrong. A BDN is acceptable in either hard copy or electronic format, provided it is retained and made available on board in accordance with Regulation 18.6. Lloyd’s Register unified interpretations set out in 2024 how electronic BDNs satisfy that requirement.
The regulation cares about two things: that the document is retained, and that it can be produced on demand. It does not require paper.
Where Bunker Delivery Notes go wrong
Three failures come up repeatedly, and none of them is exotic.
Quantity disputes. The figure on the BDN and the figure measured on board do not agree. The note is signed under protest, and the disagreement follows the vessel into its records for years.
Missing or vague declarations. The conformity declaration is the item most often incomplete, and it is the one that carries the supplier’s liability.
Documents that live in five places. The BDN sits with the vessel, the Proof of Sustainability with the supplier, the voyage data with the operator. Nobody notices the gap until an auditor asks.
Why the BDN matters more than it used to
For years the Bunker Delivery Note existed mainly to prove sulphur compliance. That changed when fuel data started carrying a price.
- FuelEU Maritime calculates your greenhouse gas intensity from what you bunkered, with a penalty of €2,400 per tonne of VLSFO equivalent
- EU ETS prices the emissions those fuels produce, rising to 100% of reported emissions from 2026
- Green shipping corridors depend on partners agreeing on the same fuel figures, with no lead company between them
A Bunker Delivery Note used to be a receipt. It is now the first link in an evidence chain that regulators price in euros.
VesselChain records each Bunker Delivery Note once, at the moment of delivery, signed by the accredited verifier the regulation already requires, and held identically by every party that depends on it. The document stays what MARPOL says it is. What changes is that nobody has to reassemble it later. Here is what that means if you own or operate the vessel.
Frequently asked questions
What information must a Bunker Delivery Note contain?
Appendix V to MARPOL Annex VI requires the receiving ship name and IMO number, port, date of commencement of delivery, supplier name, address and telephone number, product name, quantity in metric tonnes, density at 15 °C, sulphur content, and a signed declaration that the fuel conforms to Regulation 18.
How long must a Bunker Delivery Note be kept on board?
Three years after the fuel oil has been delivered on board, readily available for inspection.
How long must the fuel sample be retained?
Until the fuel oil is substantially consumed, and in any case for at least 12 months from the time of delivery.
Can a Bunker Delivery Note be electronic?
Yes. Hard copy or electronic format are both acceptable, provided the note is retained and made available on board in accordance with Regulation 18.6.
Who signs the Bunker Delivery Note?
The fuel oil supplier’s representative signs and certifies the declaration of conformity with Regulation 18. The vessel acknowledges receipt, and may sign under protest if quantities are disputed.
