Bimco has raised serious concerns about an IMO study into the availability of low sulphur fuels ahead of a key vote on the legislation.

The IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) is due to vote later this month on the implementation date of the 0.5% global sulphur cap.

But the shipowners association says the IMO study has failed to fully address the IMO’s terms of reference in several critical areas.

“A significant amount of the fuel oil that the IMO study concludes will be available for marine use is unsafe to store and use onboard ships,” claims Bimco.

The study is also said to fail to address how an assessed shortage of sulphur removal capacity in refineries will be resolved so that capacity would be in place by 2020.

Bimco says the study also fails to model the disruption that an overnight introduction of the global cap from 31 December 2019 would cause.

As a result, Bimco claims that it is not possible to determine if the global refining industry will have the capacity to produce enough marine fuel by 2020.

Bimco also raises concerns that the supply of fuel to other sectors of the global economy could face major disruption if the scenario is not addressed beforehand

An independent supplementary study, funded by Bimco, is said to have concluded that “it is unlikely that there will be sufficient low sulphur fuel available in 2020, while maintaining uninterrupted supply of fuel to all other sectors of the global economy”.

Bimco deputy secretary general Lars Robert Pedersen commented: “It is clear that the IMO study is flawed, meaning it is not possible to determine from the study that there would be sufficient fuel available in 2020,” said

“On that basis, our opinion is that it would be irresponsible for IMO to make the decision to go for 2020 at MEPC 70 in October.

“There is clearly a need for additional analysis to ensure the supply chain for global trade is not seriously disrupted and developing nations are not hit hard by a lack of affordable energy.”

Pedersen says it is not about the cost of low sulphur fuel for ships – that has long been known.

“But if it is in short supply, the cost will rise not just for shipping but for all users of the fuel. This will price those in poorer economies out of the market”.

“It’s a complex issue – but the difficulties in ensuring sufficient refinery capacity and the disruption caused by an overnight introduction have to be thoroughly taken into account.”