Owners and captains who fail to comply with IMO 2020 regulations could face two years of jail time in Singapore.
This is according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), which was cited by Bloomberg.
It did not clarify which specific offences would receive a jail term, with other penalties including a fine of up to SGD 10,000 ($7,400).
Based on US precedents, the toughest punishment would likely be imposed if crews faked documents or obstructed justice, Magdalene Chew, a director at AsiaLegal, and Wole Olufunwa, a senior associate at Holman Fenwick Willan, told the news agency.
Singapore has already banned open-loop scrubbers.
An MPA spokesperson said: "MPA is also working closely with the industry to ease the transition to the requirements under the IMO 2020 regulations."
It will inspect vessels and use fuel-testing companies. Ships will have to declare their compliance method before they arrive.
