California accelerates sulphur limits

Ships sailing off the California coastline or calling at Californian ports will be compelled to use low sulphur fuel as from July next year. From July 2009, the maximum sulphur level in fuel used in main propulsion engines will be limited to 1.5% within 24 naut miles of the coastline. This limit is to be reduced to 0.1% from January 2012.

The move has been introduced by the Californian Air Resource Board, which has reportedly bypassed the US Environmental Protection Agency by declaring the measure as a fuel standard rather than an emissions limit.