IMO Head: States Must Help With Lower-Sulfur Fuel Cost

IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu focused on the industry's environmental responsibilities in his address.

Governments must play a part in helping ships adopt the use of lower-sulfur fuel oil, Koji Sekimizu, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), told attendees at the opening of the Marine Environment Protection Committee's (MEPC) 64th session.

Sekimizu said the committee will consider a new industry proposal on the timing of IMO review of the availability of fuel oil that meets the new limits.

Once the requirements and measures are adopted, he said, all parties must work to ensure compliance, meaning that governments should help make sure oil and refinery industries make appropriate investments to ensure the fuel's availability, while shippers and shipbuilders must adopt new technology to reduce fuel use.

"The low sulphur regulations are [an] environmental requirement. The cost for compliance should be borne by the Society. Amendments were adopted not only by Maritime Administrations, but also by Governments.," Sekimizu said.

"Market forces alone may not be sufficient, and governments should take the major responsibility to ensure necessary investment now for the availability of low sulphur oil, alternative fuel and technology, if you really want the compliance."

Sekimizu also addressed the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, saying the IMO is on track to identify a path toward climate change mitigation by 2015.

He said the committee must adopt a resolution promoting technical cooperation and technology transfer to improve ships' energy efficiency, particularly in light of the January 1, 2013 entry into force of new MARPOL Annex VI regulations. The rules apply to new ships of 400 gross tonnage and above.

The committee session runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 5.

Three companies that sell technology for reducing ships' energy use have called on the IMO to develop a transparent, international standard to determine how well such products work.