South Africa would be ready to implement the new global fuel regulations imposed by the International Maritime Organisation in time for the 2020 deadline, the South African Maritime Safety Association (Samsa) reported last week.
Samsa held a “purpose fit” two-day consultative workshop last week in Cape Town to discuss the local industry’s readiness to implement the new sulphur cap.
Delegates attending the workshop agreed that a key instrument to smooth the transition process would be the crafting of a crucial piece of legislation – a task that is the responsibility of the Department of Transport together with Samsa.
According to Sipho Mbata, South Africa’s Alternate Permanent Representative to the IMO, crafting the legislation will be achievable as it only requires the minister of transport to facilitate its enactment process.
“The most viable approach to passage of the necessary legislation would be in the form of an annexure to an already existing law or the bill process will be dragged out.”
As stipulated by the IMO, vessels of any size must use compliant fuels of 0.50% sulphur or less from 1 January 2020 unless they are provided with an approved equivalent.
