Proposed IMO Ban Would Still Allow 84% of Fuel Oil Use in Arctic to Continue: NGO

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday September 3, 2020

A proposed International Maritime Organisation ban on the use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic would still allow 84% of its use to continue until 2029, according to new research.

If adopted, the proposed ban would come into force in July 2024, but exemptions and waivers would allow some ships to continue using the heavy fuel until July 2029, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).

Based on fleet data from 2019, these exemptions and waivers would amount to allowing 70% of fuel oil carriage and 84% of fuel oil use in the Arctic to continue, the ICCT said in a white paper published Thursday.

Reflagging ships to Arctic states might allow for even more to continue, the organisation said.

Environmental groups are seeking to keep fuel oil out of the Arctic both because of the risk of spills there and because of the detrimental impact of black carbon emissions on the local environment.

"Ahead of the 75th session of the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee, which will be held virtually in November 2020, policymakers should consider how the proposal could be modified to ban a larger share of HFO carriage and use," the ICCT said.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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