ABS has issued its ABS Advisory on Marine Fuel Oil to help the shipping industry prepare for the IMO’s 2020 global sulphur cap.
The Advisory provides owners and operators with guidance on the considerations and challenges with marine fuels that are likely to be used to meet the 0.5 per cent permitted sulphur content in 2020.
Dr. Kirsi Tikka, ABS executive vice president and senior maritime advisor said: “The IMO 2020 sulphur cap requirement will introduce a significant demand change from heavy fuel to low sulphur fuel almost overnight. The industry currently is debating how to prepare as the consequences of this shift are difficult to predict. The ABS Advisory addresses concerns about the safety impacts and quality of the new blended and hybrid fuels that are currently not covered by the ISO fuel standard, and provides guidance on fuel selection, modification considerations and operational challenges.”
ABS has said that its recent poll of shipowners and operators found that 53 per cent said their fleets were not yet ready to meet upcoming sulphur cap requirements.
The ABS Advisory aims to prepare owners and operators for the cap by covering a range of topics, from fuel properties to operational risks to potential preparations. Using this Advisory to understand the implications of different marine fuels, owners and operators can make smarter decisions on the future of their fleets.
The ABS Advisory includes background on air emission regulations and evaluates several relevant fuel types and the associated impacts and operational challenges for each.
Download the ABS Advisory on Marine Fuel Oil here.
