Greece, one of the most influential voices in the IMO, has warned that shipping is not yet ready for the global 0.5% sulphur cap, which is set to take effect next month.
"A month before the implementation, availability, compatibility, safety and quality issues of the new fuels have not been resolved yet," Greek Shipping Minister Yiannis Plakiotakis said at last week's Navigator Forum, a shipping conference in Athens.
Plakiotakis said he expressed his concerns at the IMO general assembly in London on 25 November. He told other member states that if these issues are not addressed urgently and seriously, trade disruption and fatal marine accidents loom.
Plakiotakis' comments largely echo those of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) and its president, Theodore Veniamis. Both men have urged the IMO to postpone the 1 January global 0.5% sulphur-content limit for bunkers.
However, their call has been falling on deaf ears.
"I pointed out the risks but received no answer," the Greek minister said about his meetings at the IMO assembly.
"We all wish everything will go well in the end," Plakiotakis added in front of a crowd of about 300 local shipping players, including Ioanna Procopiou of Prominence Maritima and Alexander Hadjipateras of Dorian LPG.
It was not all bad news for Greece at the IMO last week. On 29 November, the country was re-elected for another two years as a "category A" member in the IMO Council — a kind of standing committee of IMO member states that wields important executive powers.
The category A title is awarded to the 10 IMO member states considered to have the largest interest in providing international shipping services. That group occupies by right a quarter of all seats at the council, which sets the IMO's work agenda and budget.
Japan, South Korea, Italy, China, Panama, the UK, Norway, the US and Russia were the other nine "category A" IMO Council members to be re-elected for the next two years.
