Multiple blends of oil-based fuels are likely to meet the 0.50% sulphur cap that will herald a new era of bunkering, according to Neville Joseph, regional operations manager for Intertek Petroleum Services (ITS).
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 0.50% sulphur cap would not however just bring legislative change but would also have an impact on fuel quality, he added.
“The legislative change will have a significant impact on the quality of fuel products available for purchase in any given region,” he said at a recent bunkering seminar in Cape Town. “Two key factors will play a role - the availability of compliant product and the quality of that product.” He said claims of a lack of preparedness for the change were unfounded as the process had started as far back as 2005.
According to Justin Murphy, chief executive of the International Bunkering Industry Association (Ibia), come 2020 when the sulphur limit becomes legal, it will be a world of multiple blends of oil-based fuels. On the supply side, said Murphy, it would require gaining the necessary experience to produce compliant blends while avoiding unstable fuels.
He said ship operators would have to be aware of the need for better fuel management.
