• The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is imposing new regulations by 2020 over fuel usage. Ship owners must clean up their act
  • The SulNOx fuel emulsifier has been trialed in ships demonstrating exceptional results with bunker fuel
  • Using our SulNOx product would immediately bring a ship into line with the stringent emissions regulations being imposed

On 4th December 2018, Tokyo hosted a critical debate focusing on the key drivers that will help the world to achieve ‘decarbonisation’, with the global shift toward cleaner sources of energy at the forefront.

As a leading player in the hydrocarbon fuel emulsification industry, SulNOx was more than pleased to hear there would also be an examination of some of the main developments in the commodity markets this past year.

The most important change for shipping in 30 years

During the summit, the International Energy Agency (IEA) outlined the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2020 Regulations, which ultimately states there must be a reduction of fuel sulphur content. There is no avoiding these rulings.

Marine fuel currently contains 3.5% sulphur. These new regulations will see this reduced to 0.5% sulphur. This is a huge shift in the shipping industry.

Deadly toxins

It is estimated that 100 million barrels of oil are used per day, of which 3.4 million are used by ships (89 million gallons equivalent). Research has determined that a single large container ship emits more harmful poisons than 50 million automobiles. Ship fuel is the dregs of the refining process and is said to produce deadly toxins 2,000 times greater than automobile fuel.

What the IMO regulations mean for the maritime sector

As a ship owner, there are two options on the table:

1. A mechanical solution in the form of better exhaust scrubbers

The fitting of mechanical components within the confines of an engine is in many cases impossible and at best expensive leading to downtime

2. Use compliant fuel

It is no secret that refineries are struggling with their attempts to bring the sulphur content down on sufficient quantities of fuel to meet the demands of the sector.

Choose cleaner, greener fuels

There is a simple solution. Using the SulNOx fuel emulsifier would instantly make ships IMO compliant and more fuel-efficient. We are already trialing our product with two fleet owners and the results, so far, have far exceeded expectations.

The future

With this deadline now looming over the industry, our sales and marketing team will be committed to reaching out to the maritime sector during 2019, sharing the results of independent trials into our world-leading product.

To speak with one of our team about how SulNOx can ensure your fleet is IMO compliant, please get in touch.

Posted Dec 17, 2018

Reproduction of this information is with kind permission from SulNOx