Owners' organisation Bimco has approved two new charter clauses dealing with the IMO's low-sulphur fuel rules.
They will be released in early December after being rubber-stamped by its documentary committee on Tuesday.
“It is very important that the new sulphur clauses are ready well in advance to allow the parties to prepare ahead of 1 January 2020,” said Peter Eckhardt, chair of the drafting committee and head of chartering and operations at Reederei F Laeisz.
“The Global Marine Fuel Sulphur Clause for Time Charter Parties will help them do exactly that, as it sets out the obligations and responsibilities of owners and charterers to comply with MARPOL Annex VI sulphur content requirements,” he added.
The clause states that charterers are obliged to provide fuel that complies with MARPOL requirements, grades and specifications set out in the charter party. It is described as a general compliance clause.
The provision also states that charterers must use suppliers and bunker barge operators who comply with MARPOL and that shipowners will remain responsible for the fuel management.
Transition eased?
The second clause deals with the transitional period from the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2020.
It focuses on cooperation between owners and charterers to minimise quantities of non-compliant fuel on board by 31 December 2019.
The clause states that any remaining non-compliant fuel on board after 1 January 2020 has to be removed no later than re-delivery or 1 March 2020 – whichever comes first.
It also states that removal of non-compliant fuel must be done at the charterers’ cost, while tank cleaning must be done at the cost of the shipowners.
The two clauses will be published as one package.
