• 18 Mar 2016

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and INTERTANKO have issued a call for theInternational Maritime Organization's (IMO's)Marine Environmental Protection Committee(MEPC) to agree in principle at its 69th session, that a final decision on a date for implementation of the a global 0.5 percentsulfur cap for shipping should be made at its 70th session.

MEPC 69 is due to be held from April 18 to 22, 2016, with MEPC 70 set for October 24 to 28, 2016. At present, the implementation date is set for January 1, 2020, but IMO may push this back until 2025 pending the outcome of a fuel availability review.

ICS and INTERANKO say that, while significant health and environmental benefits will be derived from a global 0.5 percent sulfur cap for shipping, "the implementation of the global 0.5 percent sulphur cap will nevertheless have profound implications for the economics of international shipping."

"Ship operators and oil refiners will require as much time as possible to prepare for implementation," explained ICS and INTERANKO. "The oil refining industry will need to take important decisions to ensure that sufficient quantities of compliant fuel will be available," they added, noting that a firm implementation date may affect when certain ships are scrapped.

The date of implementation of the 0.5 percentsulfur cap may also affect decisions on whether or not ships will be sent for early recycling, the group