Easing off the gas: Is the shipping industry ready for Sulphur 2020?
By Gavin du Venage2019-09-11T11:22:00
The IMO’s new regulation to cut sulphur emissions, which is coming into force next year, will require operational changes by ports and shipping lines. But some parts of the world are far from prepared.
By January next year, cargo vessels will have to switch to cleaner burning bunker fuel, a transition for which ports in some parts of the world are poorly prepared. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued a ruling which says that from January 1, 2020 vessels will no longer be allowed to use bunker fuel that has a high sulphur content. Emissions must be reduced from the current 3.5% global limit to 0.5%.
The new rule, known as ‘Sulphur 2020’, will demand that cargo vessels use compliant low-sulphur fuel or else an approved abatement technology such as a scrubber – essentially a filter to remove particles from engine exhaust – or an alternative fuel like hydrogen. Meeting the new regulations will profoundly change the economics of shipping, and may affect patterns of imports and exports.