Over 90% of Shipowners Expect to be Regularly Buying VLSFO in Q4: Monjasa

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday September 30, 2019

A survey by Monjasa has indicated that over 90% of shipowners expect to be regularly buying IMO2020 grade VLSFO in Q4 this year.

The surveyed customers represent medium and large size shipowners that control a total of 3,857 vessels globally.

The results of the survey, that were shared with Ship & Bunker, indicated that 91.3% customers expect to purchase VLSFO regularly during Q4 2019, while 21.7% of the surveyed customers expect to completely substitute HSFO with VLSFO by the January 1, 2020 start date of the new rules.

Of the customers surveyed, almost 70% said they favoured purchasing VLSFO over MGO for compliance.

Presumably welcome news to the industry talking heads who have been pressing owners to prepare early for the new cap is that 26.1% of customers said they had already commenced the cleaning of their bunker tanks. The remainder expect this to be competed during Q4 2019.

And with the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) having warned in May that ships could be stuck with HSFO onboard for a long time after the new rules come into force, also welcome will be news that 47.8% of the customers Monjasa surveyed said they expect no need for HSFO de-bunkering operations.

As Ship & Bunker previously reported, Monjasa commenced its supply of IMO2020 grade bunkers at the beginning of September.

Ship & Bunker News Team
To contact the editor responsible for this story email us at editor@shipandbunker.com