China’s ministry of transport has applied controls on ship emissions in three key port areas effective this month (January) to reduce sulphur dioxide.
The controls are similar to those existing in the North Sea and the North American coast.
Hong Kong made it mandatory in July last year for merchant ships to switch to low-sulphur fuel, while at the same time neighbouring Shenzhen launched a voluntary fuel-switching scheme.
The new rules apply to ships in the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and the Bohai Bay rim, a measure aimed at cutting sulphur dioxide by 65% by 2020 from the 2015 level, according to the ministry.
Ships berthed at ports within the three Chinese emissions control zones have to use bunker fuel with a maximum sulphur dioxide (SO2) content of 0.5%.
