F E ATU RE The new IMO 2020 regulation can be enforced by ports in more than 170 countries that have signed up SHIPPING OUT THE SULPHUR From January 2020, new IMO environmental regulations will see shipping companies ditch highsulphur fuels in favour of greener alternatives. The rule change is considered to be a first step towards making the sea-freight industry more environmentally friendly and, in spite of the initial challenges, sets the scene for positive actions on climate change and other issues into the future. Editor Dominic Weaver finds out how movers plan to make the best of IMO 2020 O DOMINIC WEAVER, FIDI FOCUS EDITOR WW W. F I D I. O R G FF293 OctNov19 pp42-51 Shipping.indd 43 n 1 January, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) unveils Sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet as its World Maritime theme for the year ahead. On this date, it will also usher in legislation that will have a huge impact on global shipping and, therefore, the international relocation business. Enter, IMO 2020. IMO 2020 regulations effectively ban the use of highsulphur, sludge-like fuels used by the majority of the 53,000 merchant ships in operation around the world. The industry currently burns approximately three million barrels of this fuel every day. While the use of scrubbers equipment (often retro-fitted) that washes pollutants from exhaust gases will be permitted, these can be expensive and only a small percentage of ships have prepared in this way to date. The quick alternative is to switch to low-sulphur fuels to keep shippers within the new IMO guidelines. Ships currently use fuels that can contain more than 3.5 per cent sulphur, but from January shippers will need to reduce to 0.5 per cent or below. Max Chorus, Managing Director of Luxembourg FIDI Affiliate Streff, says while movers have had to wrestle with new environmental legislation for several years, its only now that shippers are having to get to grips with such changes. This, in spite of the fact that the first 43 18/09/2019 12:58