DuPont: Maritime Industry Needs to Consider its 0.5% Global Sulfur Cap Options Fast

DuPont recently showcased its marine scrubber solutions at Posidonia in Athens, Greece

DuPont says that if the upcoming 0.50 percent global sulfur cap for bunkres comes in to force in 2020 as expected, "the maritime industry needs to consider its options fast."

"Although cleaner fuels go some way towards addressing the requirements of the new global limit, fuel prices and the availability of marine gas oil (MGO) fluctuate constantly, with a clear and persistent differential between high and low sulphur grades," said Marco Dierico, Marine Business Development Manager Europe for DuPont Clean Technologies.

The comments came as part of an announcement that the company exhibited its proposed solution for compliance with the upcoming rules, namely, its marine scrubber solutions, at Posidonia in Athens, Greece.

DuPont says the scrubber technology can assist ship owners and operators in complying with current current emission control area (ECA) regulations, as well as the future global sulfur cap.

"Our marine scrubbers offer shipowners the technology they need to remove not only SOx from exhaust gases, but also particulates," said Dierico.

"At Posidonia we showed a range of scrubber designs than can either be retrofitted to existing ships or installed in new builds."

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is expected to make a decision on whether 2020 or 2025 will be the date for the new sulfur cap at the 70th session of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC 70) in October.

In March, Ship & Bunker reported that the global sulfur cap is estimated to add an additional $50-100 billion to the shipping industry's annual fuel bills.