By Ines Nastali — IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) has agreed on a 2020 implementation date for the 0.5% sulphur cap. From this year on, sulphur emissions from marine fuels will be restricted under MARPO Annex VI.
The decision has been awaited by the industry as it needs to prepare ships for compliance, which could mean installing scrubbers to clean exhaust gas or fit ships to run on alternative fuels like LNC or methanol.
Environmental groups Transport & Environment and Seas At Risk welcomed the 2020 Sulphur Cap: “This will reduce SO2 emissions — which cause premature deaths from diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease — from shipping by 85% compared with today’s levels,” they said in a joint statement.
Praise for the decision also came from MAN Diesel which tweeted that a cap on sulphur is “great” and shipping company Maersk, tweeting “CO2 targets are win-win. They support trade, boost economic growth and benefit everyone”.
PDF below
