Americas News
Shipping Company Fined for Breaking Sulfur Rules
A shipping company found breaking the 0.1% sulfur limit on using bunker fuel in the US Caribbean emissions control area (ECA) has been fined by a US court.
A US district court fined ship operator Ionian Shipping and ship owner Lily Shipping and a number of individuals $3 million for breaking the rules.
The ship concerned was the Ocean Princess which carried petroleum products to and from the Caribbean port of St Croix.
Court documents state that not only was was non-compliant fuel burned, it was switched from the cargo to the bunker tanks during its voyages.
As Ship & Bunker previously reported, the landmark case was the first to see criminal charges brought against a sulfur regs violator.
According to shipping database Equasis, the ship is a 8,016 deadweight tonne oil products tanker built in 2003 and flagged in Panama.
Since 2015, ships plying sea routes in or through an ECA must use fuel limited to maximum 0.1% sulfur.
