IMO has been pushed to ban heavy fuel oil (HFO) for use and carriage as a fuel in the Arctic. However, on the one hand some want the ban to take place as soon as possible. On the other hand, many are those that support the idea of not banning HFO before knowing the result of an assessment of the impacts, regarding both the environment and the economy of Arctic indigenous and local communities and industries.
Specifically, IBIA’s Unni Einemo stated that PPR 6 agreed on the methodology for the impact assessment and now wants such assessments to be provided to PPR 7, which will meet in early 2020.
During that time, a ban may be agreed which would still need to be approved and subsequently adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).
In the meantime, PPR 6 concluded to a definition of HFO consistent with one for in Regulation 43 of MARPOL Annex I, which bans all carriage of HFO both as fuel and cargo in the Antarctic.
Also, they agreed that a ban, when developed, should be under MARPOL Annex I but that it should not apply to carrying HFO as cargo, only as fuel.
The HFO definition from PPR 6 is fuel oils having a density at 15ºC higher than 900 kg/m3 or a kinematic viscosity at 50ºC higher than 180 mm2/s.
Concluding, the discussions were around how fuel blends comply the 0.50% sulphur limit may have properties that would allow products containing some residual fuel oil to meet this density/viscosity threshold.
