The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has been working to reduce the harmful impacts of shipping on the environment, setting progressively stricter limits on the sulphur content of fuel oils used by vessels. Failure to comply with these new rules can lead to substantial fines.
Recently, the IMO has adopted a 2008 resolution that introduces a reduced global sulphur cap on marine fuels. The current global limit of 3.5% mass/mass (m/m) shall decrease to 0.5% m/m from 1 January 2020.
While the new regulation has been welcomed by all, there are challenges in ensuring its full compliance and enforcement. This page is dedicated to provide Members with the resources necessary to overcome these challenges.
Shipping in EU ETS from 2024
22/12/2022
The EU ETS, established in 2005, is the world’s first emissions trading system and remains the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trading system across multiple countries and multiple sectors.
UK MRV regime: Data collection begins in 2022, but no enforcement until 2023
Sulphur 2020 PSC inspections
28/10/2019
The new IMO global sulphur cap requirements enter force on 1st January 2020 and a robust and consistent approach to compliance is expected by all Port State Control (PSC) regimes.
As Members may be aware from previous bulletins on the subject, new regulations related to Fuel Oil sulphur content will come into force from 01 Jan 2020. To prepare the maritime industry, various port states have released guidance on how changes will be implemented.
IMO Tier III NOx compliance is now mandatory for new vessels entering certain emission control areas
The IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) held its 78th session (MEPC 78) remotely from June 6-10, 2022. This article summarises the outcomes from MEPC 78.
The IMO MEPC Review on VLSFOs
04/03/2021
In the lead up to the implementation of the IMO Sulphur regulations (on 1 January 2020), the shipping industry raised concerns over the uncertainty and potential diversity of the VLSFO characteristics so the ISO committee in charge of ISO 8217 has published a global overview of the key VLSFO fuel characteristics
UK P&I Club has partnered with Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS), a global market leader in marine fuel testing and bunker surveys