IMO 2020

IBIA: IMO reaffirms 2020 effective date for 0.50% sulphur cap

Some countries pleading for a transition period after 1 January 2020, expressing concerns about fuel availability, disruption of trade, and more.

Published

8 years ago

February 23, 2018

Admin

The below is a press release from the International Bunker Industry Association:

A plea by some countries to have a transition period after 1 January 2020 before the 0.50% sulphur limit takes full effect has once again been firmly rejected at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Several member states speaking at the 5th session of the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 5) expressed concerns about sufficient availability of low sulphur fuels by that date, fearing full and strict implementation from day one might lead to a disruption of trade. They also reiterated concerns about the safety implications of new fuel blends.

Many of those who spoke said we need a period to adapt and some flexibility until we know sufficient global supply is firmly in place, which won’t be clear until after the 0.50% limit has taken effect. IBIA had a feeling of ‘déjà vu’ during this discussion. Concerns about the transition, be it uncertainty about sufficient availability; the enormity of the task for supply infrastructure to shift from providing mainly high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) to ships to provide fuels meeting a 0.50% limit; the time it will take for ships to clean out all traces of HSFO from their fuel systems; all of this was raised by IBIA at the 70th session the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 70) in our submission to that session (MEPC 70/5/35).

IBIA’s proposals for allowing some form of transition and adaption period did receive some support at the time, but as we know, the majority decision at MEPC 70 was to go for full compliance on 1 January 2020. IBIA accepted that decision and is committed to working with the industry and IMO on effective implementation, as any signal that there may be a delay would throw preparations into disarray. IBIA nevertheless believes IMO needs to prepare for non-availability situations, which is indeed part of the plan for IMO’s implementation guidelines.

The dominant view among IMO member states is that no form of delay will be accepted in the implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit. On the contrary, they say the transition to the 0.50% sulphur limit doesn’t start on 1 January 2020: that is when it ends. Hence, the focus must be on preparations prior to that date.

During PPR 5 discussions, it was agreed that some elements of the guidelines for consistent implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit need to be completed well ahead of 2020. In particular, there were calls to prioritise development of ship preparation plans.

Norway proposed that ships should develop written implementation plans to demonstrate how they will be fully compliant by 1 January 2020. It noted that ships will prepare for 2020 either by cleaning the fuel oil tanks (which for many ships requires dry-docking) or by loading low sulphur fuel on top of existing fuel oil and gradually flush through the fuel system until the sulphur content in the ship’s fuel system is at a compliant level.

Norway proposed that this 2020 implementation plan for each vessel should be “developed according to agreed IMO guidance” and be “endorsed by the Administration to make sure that it is sufficiently robust in order to ensure compliance by 1 January 2020” and be accompanied by a log of actions taken (e.g. first loading of compliant fuel, fuel tank cleaning).

Norway further suggested that such a written implementation plan demonstrating preparations “would facilitate effective inspections in a transitional period” and that “ships that do not have an endorsed implementation plan” should be subjected to more detailed inspections to verify compliance.

During discussions, Norway’s idea for a ship implementation plan was widely supported, but there was no appetite for such a plan to be endorsed, and some scepticism about the lack of a plan forming basis for more detailed port state control inspections.

However, a request will be put to MEPC 72 in April 2018 to instruct the PPR intersessional meeting in July 2018 to complete work on preparatory and transitional planning for ships, so that non-mandatory guidance from the IMO can be issued later this year at MEPC 73 in October.

Some believe we need to include preparatory actions by bunker suppliers in the implementation planning to get a better idea of the available supply. One delegation noted that some suppliers may need a whole year to make changes in the supply chain to provide compliant fuels.

The signal from the IMO is clear and unequivocal on the 2020 sulphur rule. IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said in his opening speech that consistent implementation of the 0.50% global limit was the most important on PPR 5’s agenda, adding: “There is no turning back!”

Photo credit: International Maritime Organization
Published: 23 February, 2018

Ammonia

AM Green plans to build green ammonia plant at Indian port

Initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes, says VOC Port Authority.

Published

2 months ago

June 3, 2026

Admin

VO Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority on Friday (29 May) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s ammonia producer AM Green Ammonia to collaborate in the development of a green ammonia production plant.

The plant will have a capacity of one million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at Tuticorin.

The initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes.

The project is expected to support the development of green fuel corridors connecting VOC Port with major ports in Europe and Asia, thereby strengthening India’s position in the global green fuels value chain.

VOC Port also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bureau Veritas (India) Pvt. Ltd., to collaborate on Green Port certification, emissions accounting, ESG reporting, safety validation, development of green bunkering practices, and establishment of a Centre of Excellence for green fuels and sustainability.

The port also plans for an upcoming 750 m³ green methanol bunkering facility.

Photo credit: Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash
Published: 3 June, 2026

Port & Regulatory

Study: Major drop in ship sulphur emissions confirmed following IMO regulations

National Centre for Atmospheric Science study found that the average sulphur content in ship fuel dropped nearly tenfold in open ocean areas following IMO’s 2020 regulation.

Published

8 months ago

December 8, 2025

Admin

Recent global regulations have significantly reduced sulphur emissions from ships, helping to improve air quality in coastal regions – confirmed by a recent international study led by researchers at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science.

The research, published in Environmental Science: Atmospheres, used aircraft and ground-based instruments to measure sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted by ships in the North-East Atlantic and European coastal waters between 2019 and 2023.

The team found that the average sulphur content in ship fuel dropped nearly tenfold in open ocean areas following the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 regulation, which capped sulphur content in marine fuel at 0.5%.

Before the change, many ships exceeded the previous 3.5% limit. After 2020, only a small number of ships were found to breach the new standard.

In European sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs), such as the English Channel and the Port of Tyne, sulphur levels were even lower – well below the stricter 0.1% limit. Interestingly, ports outside these zones, like Valencia in Spain, also showed low sulphur levels, likely due to EU rules requiring cleaner fuel when ships are docked for extended periods.

This is the first study to use aircraft-based measurements and predictions from the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM3) to assess ship emissions outside of sulphur control zones since the 2020 regulation came into effect. The findings support the widely held view that ships now emit around seven times less sulphur than before the rule change – an important step toward cleaner air and healthier coastal environments.

Note: The research, titled ‘SO2 and NOx emissions from ships in North-East Atlantic waters: in situ measurements and comparison with an emission model’ can be found here.

Photo credit: shraga kopstein on Unsplash
Published: 8 December, 2025

Interview

IBIA Annual Convention 2025: ‘Exciting times’ for post IMO 2020 bunker suppliers, states Equatorial

Choong Sheen Mao, Chief Operating Officer, Equatorial, describes to Manifold Times the pre/post IMO 2020 challenges and evolution of bunker suppliers.

Published

9 months ago

October 31, 2025

Admin

The International Bunkering Industry Association (IBIA) will be hosting its flagship Annual Convention in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Convention Exhibition & Convention Centre between 18 to 20 November 2025, as part of Hong Kong Maritime Week.

Choong Sheen Mao, Chief Operating Officer, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services (Equatorial), speaks to bunkering publication Manifold Times about the challenges of a post IMO 2020 bunker supplier.

MT: How does Equatorial continue to offer customer assurance and maintenance of marine fuel quality to ISO8217 standards despite increasing complexity of bunker fuel blends?

We maintain our focus to provide compliant, quality and competitively priced products to our customers. There is no shortcut. We source our products from a wide range of cargo producers and suppliers. We continue to be strict and vigilant with our testing programme for our products before delivering them to our customers. Equatorial has deepened our engagement with the wider industry to have a better and up-to-date understanding of the existing and new marine fuels.

MT: Can you share the evolution of commercial marine fuel procurement, blending and trading strategies on the back of increasing fuel types (pre/post IMO 2020)?

Pre IMO 2020, the main types of marine fuel procured and consumed by vessels were high-sulphur fuel oil, marine diesel oil and marine gas oil. Trading strategies were therefore closely linked to that within the oil industry.

However, many of the new fuel types are from other industries. For example, biofuels, methanol and ammonia are mainly products from the chemical and agriculture industries. There are marked differences between these industries and the energy industry (in particular, the marine fuels industry). LNG is from the gas industry which is distinct from the oil industry.

Without an existing liquid paper market for many of these commodities (especially as a marine fuel), the price risk management is less straightforward. Furthermore, commodity prices are no longer the sole consideration for price itself. The price of compliance must be considered. This could range from guaranteeing the origin of the marine fuel, its sulphur properties as well as its carbon intensity. The list goes on.

MT: Operational wise, what are the changing role and responsibilities of a bunker supplier to date, compared to before IMO 2020?

The role and responsibility of a bunker supplier have evolved. Fundamentally, it has been about providing quality marine fuels at competitive prices. Quantity assurance has been a critical concern which led to the mandatory implementation of the mass flow meter system for bunkering in the Port of Singapore. Interestingly, due to the nature of credit terms in the bunker industry, bunker suppliers also performed the role of “bankers” by extending favourable credit terms to shipowners and charterers.

These days, post IMO 2020, things have become even more complicated. Today, a bunker supplier retains the abovementioned roles and responsibilities, and much more – it has to ensure compliance with a plethora of rules and regulations. Compliance not only with sulphur cap requirements, but with international and regional sanctions and restrictions unrelated to the quality of the marine fuel itself. In fact, especially with alternative low- and zero-carbon marine fuels, this means compliance with standards, rules and regulations on sustainability such as the European Renewable Energy Directive and/or International Sustainability and Carbon Certification. There is also the need to comply with increasingly stringent safety regulations on both conventional and alternative marine fuels.

In addition to the above, a post IMO 2020 bunker supplier is still expected to supply compliant and quality fuel at competitive prices.

MT: Equatorial is Singapore’s largest local-born supplier; what is the next big thing for the company?

Equatorial continues to adapt and improve with the times, while maintaining its core values – Integrity, Teamwork, Commitment, Proficiency and Quality, and Safety and Environment. The bunker industry is a highly competitive one, and it is our intention to keep our competitive edge and remain relevant. This means that we have had to step out of our comfort zone and embrace the two mega trends of our time – digitalisation and decarbonisation.

We have been early adopters and developers of the electronic bunkering note as part of our own digital bunkering efforts. We have diversified our product offering to include low carbon marine fuels and are proud to be one of the pioneers for bunkering B100 biofuels earlier this year. This was made possible by the arrival of our IMO Type II chemical and oil bunker tankers. These same bunker tankers are also capable for carrying and delivering methanol. Equatorial has invested in an LNG bunkering vessel (LBV) newbuilding that is set to be delivered in Q3 2027. We are also involved in a study to develop low- or zero-carbon ammonia bunkering in Singapore.

These are exciting times.

Note: Choong Sheen Mao is amongst panellists featured in ‘Session Three: Bunker Sellers Panel’ at the IBIA Annual Convention 2025.

Join the Conversation

With over 300 delegates expected, the IBIA Annual Convention 2025 is set to be a defining moment for the marine fuels industry. Registration is now open via the IBIA Annual Convention website.