A leading industry figure has called on the IMO to protect shipowners that are unable to secure fuel compliant with upcoming 2020 regulations despite their best efforts.
Speaking to TradeWinds ahead of what he described as a “critical” meeting at the IMO next week, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) chairman Esben Poulsson said the regulator now needs to show “common sense” over the availability of compliant 0.5% sulphur content fuel.
He said many shipowners anticipated “teething problems” over the implementation of the new rules that the regulator must address at the upcoming gathering.
Legitimate concerns
“Many industry associations and players, including ICS, have raised legitimate concerns about fuel availability, safety and compatibility of new fuels — a particular problem for those in the tramp trades,” Poulsson said, speaking from Singapore.
“But if shipowners can demonstrate in good faith that they’ve done everything possible to follow an implementation plan in line with the template we’ve asked [the] IMO to adopt next week, we hope common sense will prevail in the event that safe and compliant fuels are not immediately available everywhere.”
One focus of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting will be the development of a global fuel non-availability report form that owners can show to authorities if they are unable to secure compliant fuel.
Poulsson called for concerted action to help shipowners comply with the regulation.
“Oil suppliers and governments must now play their part and take responsibility for providing the required fuels in every port worldwide,” he said.
Quality standards
Poulsson addedthe ICS has also submitted a paper to the MEPC calling on governments to enforce higher fuel quality standards, amid concerns a new generation of blended low-sulphur fuels could cause technical problems.
He added that shipowners fully backed IMO 2020 despite criticism from environmentalists that they are seeking to wriggle out of or delay the regulations.
“I’m confident the sulphur cap will ultimately be a great success bringing real health and environmental benefits to coastal populations, which is what this major regulatory change is all about,” he said.
