According to MPA Singapore, in the first quarter of 2020, most ships calling at the Port of Singapore have complied with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 sulphur regulations since they came into effect on 1 January 2020.
Based on pre-arrival notification submitted to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) from January to March 2020, about 96% of the ships that arrived in the Port of Singapore used compliant fuel. This excludes ships installed with open-loop scrubbers that switch to using compliant fuel upon arriving in the Port of Singapore.
In the first quarter of 2020, MPA carried out 326 Port State Control (PSC) and Flag State Control (FSC) inspections in the Port of Singapore. During these inspections, MPA found 12 ships, which were not fitted with scrubbers, using fuel that marginally exceeded the sulphur limit. This was likely because of remnant residues of high-sulphur fuel in the fuel oil tanks and piping.
It is expected that in time, the fuel oil tanks and piping will be properly flushed with the continual use of compliant fuel.
Moreover, two foreign-registered ships were using non-compliant fuel. They were each issued a PSC detention order, and were only allowed to depart from the Port of Singapore after it was verified that they had switched to using compliant fuel.
In light of Singapore’s prohibition on the discharge of wash water from open-loop scrubbers, no ship installed with an open-loop scrubber was found to be operating its scrubber in the Port of Singapore.
Singapore ships outside Singapore
During the first three months of 2020, there was no Singapore-registered ship detained by port state authorities for non-compliance with the IMO 2020 regulations. Two ships reported the non-availability of compliant fuel, and submitted the required Fuel Oil Non-Availability Report.
Amongst the small number of Singapore-registered ships installed with scrubbers, there were 31 reports of scrubber malfunction as at 29 February 2020.
Mr Goh Chung Hun, MPA’s Director of Marine, stated
By engaging the industry proactively, providing the necessary technical guidance and maintaining an adequate supply of compliant fuel in Singapore, we have ensured a high degree of compliance with IMO 2020 sulphur regulations
