In a newly-launched Sea Asia industry insights report, ‘2020 Sulphur Cap: Is the industry ready for the long-run?’, industry experts outline that despite the different solutions available for the industry to comply with the 2020 sulphur cap, there is still no consensus from the industry on which works best for the long-run.
The report explores the long-term viability of the three main solutions that industry players are mulling over ahead of the new enforcement:
- Scrubbers;
- Low-sulphur fuel;
- LNG.
Commenting on the report, Dragos Rauta, Technical Director at Intertanko, said that there are still not many viable solutions for the long-run.
Other than clean fuel, I do not see many other potential long-term solutions that the industry can implement for the sulphur cap. Most of the solutions can work in the short-run but will not be sustainable.
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He also explained that as far as scrubbers are concerned, they will last for no more than 10 years ‘because the high acidity of the wash-water is a challenge for the integrity of the installation. There will still be some impact on the environment that will not go unnoticed.’
Thus, the shipping industry still needs to find that one solution which will be viable and sustainable, to comply with the 2020 sulphur cap.
In addition, Precious Shipping’s Managing Director, Khalid Hashim, noted that it is important for the industry to look beyond just complying with the upcoming regulation. Namely, IMO plans to reduce total GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050. However, the industry can go further than that and come up with solutions to move the industry towards a zero carbon future.
Moreover, Chris Hayman, Chairman of Seatrade UBM EMEA, believes that discussions at the Sea Asia 2019 conference will revolve around the issues raised by the implementation of the sulphur cap.
For example, during the Sea Asia Parliamentary Debate, which will discuss the motion ‘This House believes that too much is expected of the shipping industry on environmental matters’, we expect to hear a wide variety of opinions from industry leaders on what the sulphur cap and other regulators would mean for sea transport.
