Page 24: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2016)

MARINE FUELS & EMISSIONS

All Eyes on 2020

IMO Low-Sulfur Fuel Mandate Triggers Mixed Reaction

By Tom Mulligan he International Maritime Or- currently in place. IMO said its decision Further work to ensure effective imple- relevant availability of fuel oil failed to ganization’s proposals to re- demonstrated its clear commitment to mentation of the 2020 global sulfur cap fully address IMO’s terms of reference duce sulfur levels in marine ensure that shipping meets its environ- will continue in IMO’s Sub-Committee in several critical areas, including fuel

Tfuels to a maximum of 0.5% mental obligations, the Organization’s on Pollution Prevention and Response. oil quality, a shortage of sulfur removal m/m (mass/mass) by 2020 may prove Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, said that capacity in oil re? neries, and a failure to to be controversial, having met with it re? ected IMO’s determination to en- BIMCO: “Serious Concerns” model the disruption that an overnight various responses from major shipping sure that international shipping remains The Baltic and International Maritime introduction of the global cap would organisations and other bodies. The de- the most environmentally sound mode of Council (BIMCO), however, one of the cause. BIMCO believes that a signi? - cision to implement the proposals by transportation: “The reductions in sulfur world’s largest international shipping cant amount of the fuel oil that the IMO 2020 was taken by IMO, the regulatory oxide emissions resulting from the lower associations, has voiced serious con- study concludes will be available for ma- authority for international shipping, dur- global sulfur cap are expected to have a cerns about some of the conclusions of rine use is unsafe to store and unsafe to ing its Marine Environment Protection signi? cant bene? cial impact on the envi- the of? cial study on which the decision use on board ships, and in addition says

Committee (MEPC 70) meeting, which ronment and on human health, particu- of the IMO Committee to set the imple- that the means to address the shortage of was held in London, UK in October larly on that of people living in port cit- mentation date of the 0.5% global sulfur re? nery capacity for sulfur removal has 2016, and represents a signi? cant re- ies and coastal communities beyond the cap was made. The Council stated that yet to determined. It therefore concludes duction from the 3.5% m/m global limit existing emission control areas,” he said. the of? cial IMO study that assessed the that it is not possible to be certain that 24 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • DECEMBER 2016

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