South Africa will have compliant, low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) available when the 0.5% sulphur cap introduced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) takes effect and becomes legally binding on January 1. But where it will come from remains unknown. And, it remains uncertain whether the LSFO will be compatible with fuel from other regions and ports. This is the word from the local bunkering industry, which is in the final stretch of preparations to comply with the new regulation. “Refineries have given the assurance that low-sulphur fuel will be available for bunkering in South Africa, but whether it will be produced locally or imported remains unknown,” said a local expert. Astron Energy has indicated that LSFO will be available offshore in Algoa Bay, where it holds an operating licence. Shipping lines around the world have been advised to prepare for possible fuel shortages during the change from high- to low-sulphur fuel early next year, as well as for non-compatibility of fuel. Some shipping lines, such as Maersk, are so concerned about the shortage risk that last week, on September 5, it announced that it would be producing 5% to 10% of its annual fuel demand itself. An agreement concluded between Maersk Oil Trading and Koole Terminals will enable Maersk to produce LSFO at its petrochemical industrial distillation (PID) unit, located at Koole’s Botlek site in the heart of the Port of Rotterdam. “The fuel-manufacturing process allows Maersk to produce compatible LSFO that complies with the IMO 2020 sulphur cap implementation, reducing the need to rely on 0.1% pricebased gas oil and fuel oil outside the Emission Control Area (ECA) zones,” said Niels Henrik Lindegaard, head of Maersk Oil Trading. This, he said, would be an important driver in ensuring stable, reliable services for the liner during “a potentially volatile period for global shipping”.