IMO: New Fuels to Meet the 2020 Limit?

IMO has set a global limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships of 0.50% m/m (mass by mass) from 1 January 2020. This will significantly reduce the amount of sulphur oxide emanating from ships and should have major health and environmental benefits for the world, particularly for populations living close to ports and coasts.

It is likely that new blends of fuel oil for ships will be developed, For example, a gas oil, with a very low sulphur content can be blended with heavy fuel oil to lower its sulphur content.

These new blends are likely to cost more initially than the “heavy fuel oil” bunkers (fuel) used by the majority of ships today.  Ships can also choose to switch to a different fuel altogether. Or they may continue to purchase heavy fuel oil, but install ”scrubbers” to reduce the output of SOx in order to have an equivalent means to meet the requirement.

Of course, some ships are already using low sulphur fuel oil to meet the even more stringent limits of 0.10% m/m when trading in the already-established emission control areas. So those fuel oil blends suitable for ECAS, will also meet the 0.50% m/m limit in 2020. However, there is a cost differential, and these blends are more expensive than heavy fuel oil.

A study commissioned by IMO into the "Assessment of fuel oil availability" concluded that the refinery sector has the capability to supply sufficient quantities of marine fuels with a sulphur content of 0.50% m/m or less and with a sulphur content of 0.10% m/m or less to meet demand for these products, while also meeting demand for non-marine fuels.