SHANA - The Research Center of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) has signed a deal with National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) for developing optimum bunker fuel used to feed bunkers and vessels.

The deal requires RIPI to assess novel methods and develop of state-of-the-art techniques for improving and promoting quality of bunker fuel and reducing pollutants.

Hamid Reza Katouzian, RIPI head, and Sirous Kian Ersi, NITC managing director, signed the deal at NITC headquarters on Wednesday.

Addressing the deal's signing ceremony, NITC chief said the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced it is going ahead with a global sulfur cap of 0.5% on marine fuels starting from January 1, 2020, which is not far from the present era.

"Regarding the importance of the issue and the fact that not much is left to the 2020 deadline, we decided to tap RIPI's technological capabilities to cap sulfur content of marine fuel and promote its quality," he said.

The official expressed hope that the cooperation will not only suit the two bodies, but also become effective in international grounds.

Bunkering is the supply of fuel for use by ships in a seaport. The term originated in the days of steamships, when the fuel, coal, was stored in bunkers. Nowadays the term bunker is generally applied to the storage of petroleum products in tanks, and the practice and business of refueling ships. Bunkering operations are located at seaports, and they include the storage of "bunker" (ship) fuels and the provision of the fuel to vessels. Bunkering includes the shipboard logistics of loading fuel and distributing it among available "bunkers" (on-board fuel tanks.)