Excerpts from a July 15, 2016 note published in Ship and Bunker.
The Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA) says the results of CE Delft’s recent study has provided a “clear mandate” for the 2020 implementation date of a 0.50% global sulfur cap on bunkers.
A study undertaken by CE Delft on behalf of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), found that there are no major barriers to producing enough compliant bunkers to meet such a cap by 2020.
With an adequate supply of 0.50 percent sulfur marine bunkers and “ample” capacity to both manufacture and install exhaust scrubbers, EGCSA says ship owners have sufficient access to cost-effective solutions to ensure compliance by 2020.
EGCSA says it is concerned that the delay of the sulfur emissions limit from 2020 will not only enable the shipping industry to continue to damage health and the environment through SOx air emissions but also penalise early adopters of lower sulfur operations and lead to “patchwork” local emission control areas (ECAs).
“A decision in principle on introduction of the 2020 cap at MEPC 70 in October 2016 is imperative to allow ship owners to mobilise investment and make strategic decisions in good time for 1 Jan 2020 implementation.”
In June, the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) stressed the importance of emissions reduction schemes for shipping to be implemented globally, warning against moving ahead with a regional European scheme.
