The West of England P&I Club has issued a notice to the marine industry on the early implementation of the MARPOL sulphur cap at Taiwanese ports:
Club Correspondents Pro-Marine Law Office, Taipei, have advised of the publication of further guidance concerning the early Implementation of the MARPOL sulphur cap in Taiwanese ports from 1st January 2019.
The guidance, issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), advises that from 1st January 2019 vessels entering international commercial port areas in Taiwan, shall utilise either fuel oil with a sulphur content of not more than 0.5% m/m by weight, or equivalent methods of emission reduction in accordance with the MARPOL Convention.
MARPOL Annex VI allows vessels to comply with the regulations by using either fuel oil with a sulphur content below the prescribed limit, by utilising a “fitting, material, appliance or apparatus” such as exhaust gas cleaning technology, or by “other procedures, alternative fuel oils or compliance methods” such as onboard blending of fuel oil or the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). When an alternative means of compliance is used it must be “at least as effective in terms of emission reductions as that required by this Annex”. Any alternative means of compliance with the regulations must be approved by the vessel’s Flag Administration.
The latest guidance, in both Chinese and English, includes details of the port limits within which vessels are to use low sulphur fuel oil, or equivalent methods of emission reduction.
Related: Gard alert: Sulphur cap ahead!
Related: P&I Club alert: 0.5% sulphur limit at Taiwan ports
Related: FOBAS Regulatory Update: Taiwan introduces 0.50% fuel sulphur limit
Related: Taiwan mandates 0.5% sulphur bunker limit at ports from 2019
Published: 27 November, 2018
IBIA Asia, ABIS, sources from Singapore’s bunkering and surveying companies, and an industry veteran share with Manifold Times the issues expected from MPA’s latest Covid-19 measures.
The top three positive movers in the 2020 bunker supplier list are Hong Lam Fuels Pte Ltd (+13); Chevron Singapore Pte Ltd (+12); and SK Energy International (+8), according to MPA list.
‘We will operate in the Singapore bunkering market from the Tokyo, with support from local staff at Sumitomo Corporation Singapore,’ source tells Manifold Times.
Changes include abolishing advance declaration of bunkers as dangerous cargo, reducing pilotage fees on vessels receiving bunkers, and a ‘whitelist’ system for bunker tankers.
Claim relates to deliveries of MGO to the vessels Pacific Diligence, Pacific Valkyrie, Pacific Defiance, Crest Alpha 1, and Pacific Warlock between March 2020 to April 2020.
3,490 mt of LSFO from Itochu Enex was lifted at Universal Terminal; the same bunker stem was bought by Global Marine Logistics and delivered by bunker tanker Juma to receiving vessel Kirana Nawa.