The new lower 0.50% limit on sulfur in ships’ fuel oil will be in force as scheduled from January 1, 2020 without delay, affirmed the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
IMO’s Edmund Hughes Hughes delivered the message to the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) held September 24 to 26 in Singapore. The new limit will be applicable globally, while in designated emission control areas (ECAS) the limit will remain even lower, at 0.10%.
The January 1, 2020 implementation date was confirmed by IMO in October 2016, giving certainty to refineries, bunkering and shipping sectors. IMO said it has been working with member states and the industry to support implementation of the new limit.
The upcoming IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73), which will be conducted on October 22 to 26, is expected to approve ship implementation planning guidance as well as best practice guides for member states/coastal states and for fuel oil suppliers.
The MEPC is also expected to adopt a complementary International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) amendment aimed at supporting implementation of the 0.50% limit. This amendment will prohibit the carriage of non-compliant fuel oil, unless the ship has an exhaust gas cleaning system (“scrubber”) fitted.
Most ships are expected to utilize new blends of fuel oil which will be produced to meet the 0.50% limit on sulfur in fuel oil. Currently, the maximum sulfur limit in fuel oil is 3.50% globally. For the four ECAS—the Baltic Sea area; the North Sea area; the North American area covering designated coastal areas off the United States and Canada; and the United States Caribbean Sea area (around Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands)—the limit will be 0.10%.
The sulfur regulation also allows for ships to meet the requirement by alternative means, such as scrubbers, which allows the ship to continue using high sulfur fuel oil as the scrubber “cleans” the emission on the ship.
The shipping industry has expressed concern about shipping lines not being ready to meet the IMO 2020 deadline because of the magnitude of the change this rule entails and its associated costs.
Photo: Roberto Venturini
