Shipowners have not waited to make maritime transport less polluting: since 2008, while the commercial fleet has increased by 60% in capacity to transport 35% more goods, its carbon footprint has decreased by 20%.
The new regulation aims at further reducing air pollution by requiring the use of fuel oil with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5%, compared to 3.5% today, in all maritime areas (ECA areas retain their obligation not to exceed 0.1%). It will enter into force on 1 January 2020.
The cost of implementing this regulation will be significant and will increase the cost of freight.
For several months, Marfret’s technical services have been preparing for this deadline: all the 3.5% HFO present in the tanks of our vessels must have been consumed by 31 December. By then, each of these tanks must have been thoroughly cleaned and the fuel system of the ships adapted to manage the different specifications of the new product. We will therefore have to start well before the date to pump the new fuel oil as the tanks are ready in order to guarantee the compliance of our vessels on 1 January.