Call for carriage ban on high-sulphur fuel

They say that unless a ship is using an approved equivalent compliance method, there should be no reason for it to be carrying non-compliant fuels for combustion on board. This should be enforced robustfully to prevent serious market distortion and or unfair competition.

IMO proposal

The 2020 sulphur cap will provide substantial environmental and human health benefits as a result of the reduced sulphur content of marine fuels used from 1 Jan 2020.

But at the same time, the 2020 cap will significantly increase ships’ operating costs and will present major challenges to governments that must ensure consistent enforcement across the globe.

It’s for this reason that a number of international associations have seen fit to submit proposals to IMO which call for an amendment to Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention, stipulating that ships should not carry fuel for propulsion with a sulphur content above 0.5% (unless they are using an approved alternative compliance method).

This call is supported by BIMCO, Clean Shipping Coalition, Cruise Lines International Association, Friends of the Earth US, International Chamber of Shipping, International Parcel Tankers’ Association, INTERTANKO, Pacific Environment, World Shipping Council and WWF Global Arctic Programme.

The industry proposal can be found at bit.ly/2iUOzNO and will be considered by the next IMO Sub Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response from 5 to 9 February.