With Global Sustainability Goals high on the agenda worldwide, the maritime industry also faces stricter rules regarding reducing their emissions in international waters. As of January 1, 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) already mandated that ships reduce their emissions by utilizing low-sulphur fuels and on March 1, 2020, the carriage ban also came into force.
The upper limit of the sulphur content of ships fuel oil was reduced to 0.5% (from previously 3.5%)- under the so-called ‘’IMO 2020’’ regulation. In designated emission control areas, the maximum sulphur limit in fuel oil is 0.10 %. These four ECA’S areas are: Baltic sea, North Sea, North America and the US Caribbean Sea area.