Intertanko remains very concerned about fuel compatibility issues connected to the implementation of the IMO 2020 sulphur cap, chairman Paolo d'Amico told TradeWinds.
Speaking in a video interview, the d'Amico International Shipping chief executive said "dark areas" remain in the marine fuel market ahead of the 1 January deadline.
He said the tanker industry trade group is not sure that ships will be able to find compliant fuel everywhere, and he expressed concerns about fuel specifications that are not likely to be spelled out under the International Organization for Standardisation until 2022.
"We are extremely worried about how fuels will be compatible," he said on the sidelines of the Capital Link International Shipping Forum.
Still, he expressed confidence that tanker owners are up for the challenge, as most are likely to turn to marine gas oil to comply with the regulation.
It will work because it will make it work.
Paolo d'Amico
"We are just a few months from enforcement of this convention, and ... it will work because it will make it work," he said.
From a market perspective, d'Amico sees opportunity for tanker owners in the inefficiencies that will emerge in fuel markets after the implementation date.
For its part, Italian shipowner d'Amico International Shipping is keeping 70% of its fleet in the spot market to take advantage of the potential tanker market jump.
"We think that the uplift is there and we want to get it, starting from the second half of this year," he said.
