US: Responsibility for Fonars Shifts to US Coast Guard

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Tuesday July 2, 2019

Responsibility for assessing the viability of fonars -- fuel oil non-availability reports -- issued for US portsnow lies with the US Coast Guard (USCG).

Previously, these reports were submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency for review and shared with the USCG upon request.

The move is to improve the reporting process and record-keeping, the USCG said according to price reporting agency Argus Media.

Under the coming International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 0.5% sulfur cap rule on bunker fuel, ships must use the new grade fuel unless they have equipment installed to deal with the excess sulfur. However, if the IMO2020 grade of fuel is unavailable at a particular port call, the ship can still proceed by bunkering the fuel and issuing a fonar.