The global 0.5% sulphur cap for marine fuel, due to take effect from 1 January 2020, has led to calls for a prohibition on the carriage of non-compliant marine fuels. This is due to concerns that the cap will not achieve the desired benefits unless it can be consistently enforced worldwide.
A proposal has been made to the IMO which involves an amendment to Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention), stipulating that “the sulphur content of any fuel oil carried for use on board ships shall not exceed [0.50% m/m sulphur]”, unless they are using an approved alternative compliance method, such as “scrubbers” (see the full proposal here).
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