Sekimizu: Whole Community Must Help with Low Sulfur Costs

Sekimizu said the industry needs support to reach its low-sulfur goals

Koji Sekimizu, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) says the cost of low-sulfur bunkers needed to reach environmental goals should not be borne by the shipping industry alone.

"By the targets of 2015 and 2020, the necessary volume of low sulphur fuel should be provided by the oil and refinery industry but the price is a problem," Sekimizu said, speaking at the Connecticut Maritime Association Conference Tuesday.

"The cost to produce low sulphur fuel for marine use should not only be for shipping to absorb," he said.

"The whole the community should absorb the cost."

In general, Sekimizu said, shipping companies cannot solve problems of pollution from the industry by themselves, so governments and business partners need to support environmental initiatives.

He said Finland is setting a good example for the rest of the world by offering government incentives for the development of energy-efficiency technologies.

"The shipping industry cannot produce fuel," he said.

"So the discussions on how to move forward must involve not only shipping, but also ship designers, the oil and refinery industries and port developers; and it is essential that Governments and policy makers establish clear policies so that industry partners can make proper and timely investment to meet the targets and desired objectives."

Sekimizu said that, while cars, airplanes, power generators, and households "have been enjoying clean energy for some time," ships have continued to use heavy oil, "which means they have burnt the dirtiest fuel that can be commercially obtained from crude oil, out in the ocean, far from land."

He added that the shipping community, and society at large, should demand less polluting fuels for the industry.

"If the world society wants clean air, the shipping community should also enjoy access to clean energy and should demand the same clean fuels formulated to produce fewer harmful emissions, as those available to other industries," he said.

A report by the UK Chamber of Shipping earlier this month warned that low-sulfur rules could hurt that nation's economy because of the cost of compliance.