Enforcing the new sulphur cap won't be easy

AS expected, an International Maritime Organization (IMO) committee has agreed to prohibit the carriage of high-sulphur fuel oil that does not comply with the new low sulphur limit that comes into force from 2020.

To be more precise, and to use bureaucratic language: IMO's sub-committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) agreed to the draft amendments to the MARPOL Convention on the prevention of pollution from ships (MARPOL Annex VI) to prohibit the carriage of non-compliant fuel oil; the sulphur content of any fuel oil used or carried for use on board ships shall not exceed 0.5 per cent. The existing, stricter 0.1 per cent limit will, of course, continue to apply in IMO designated Emission Control Areas (ECA).

The amendments will go to IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 72) meeting in April for urgent consideration. Once approved by MEPC 72, the draft amendments could be adopted at MEPC 73 (October 2018) and could enter into force on March 1, 2020, two months after the 0.5 per cent limit takes effect.