The Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association (RBSA) says it recommends using low sulphur marine fuels rather than heavy fuel oil (HFO) used in conjunction with exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS)
In the wake of EMTER report release, Royal Belgian Shipowners Association states that the paper provides a very useful overview of the current state of the sector to move towards the carbon neutral ambition in Europe.
Launched on 1 September by the EEA and EMSA, the EMTER report acknowledges that maritime transport is an essential vector for European trade and a driver of economic growth.
While maritime transport accounts less (13.5%) for GHG emissions than road transport (71%) and civil aviation (14.4%), the industry is determined to effectively transform itself to help achieve the EU’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
However, until new fuels are commercially available and financially viable, shipping needs to ensure that the air pollutants emitted by current fuels should be kept to a minimum, both at sea and at berth.
As such, Belgian shipowners strongly encourage the use of MDO and VLSFO, instead of HFO with EGCS installations, so that air pollution is not turned into water pollution.
