Order sulphur-compliant fuel from mid-2019, says ICS

The association urged early action as it told ship owners – some of whom have been pressing for a ‘transitional period’ after the cap is introduced – that “the ‘transition’ period is in reality the period up until midnight on 31 December 2019. Shipping companies and charterers, as well as ships’ crews, need to fully prepare now.”

The call to action came as ICS launched its guidance on implementation planning. Such planning, the organisation argued, would not just help to address the many challenges associated with sulphur compliance. It would also act as a show of good faith that owners were making every effort to comply.

“The need to demonstrate good faith could be particularly important in the event that safe and compliant fuels are unavailable in some ports during the initial weeks of implementation” said Guy Platten, secretary general, ICS. “IMO has provisionally agreed that Port State Control authorities may take into account the ship’s implementation plan when verifying compliance with the sulphur limit.”

The guidance explains that the implementation process will need to address the possibility that some ships may need to carry and use more than one type of compliant fuel in order to operate globally. This could introduce additional challenges such as compatibility between different available grades of fuel that could have significant implications for the safety of the ship as well as its commercial operation.

‘Provisional Guidance to Shipping Companies and Crews on Preparing for Compliance with the 2020 Global Sulphur Cap’ can be downloaded here.