Americas News
Non-Compliant Fuel Cases Down in U.S.
Cases of non-compliant bunker fuel found by the US Coast Guard are on the decline, Platts reports.
The drop in incidents, from 22 in 2010 to 18 in 2011 and just eight so far this year may indicate the that industry is adapting to regulations, Jeff Lantz, the Coast Guard's director of commercial regulations and standards, said in a presentation at the Singapore International Bunkering Conference (SIBCON).
Lantz said the numbers take into account the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) global sulfur cap, which dropped from 4.5 percent to 3.5 percent at the start of the year.
The new 1 percent limit in the North American Emission Control Area (ECA) introduced in August was also taken into account.
Lantz said ships that are having trouble sourcing 1 percent sulfur bunker fuel should notify port authorities and provide evidence of their attempts to purchase the cleaner fuel.
Søren Christian Meyer, global sales director at marine fuel supplier OW Bunker (OW), recently said that the 1 percent limit has affected fuel prices in North America, and ship owners should work with fuel suppliers to make sure the correct infrastructure is in place to provide enough lower-sulfur fuel.
