For the 2020 deadline, there are in essence four choices available:
- Switching from high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) to marine gas oil (MGO) or distillates
- Using very-low-sulphur fuel oil or compliant fuel blends (0.50% sulphur)
- Retrofitting vessels to use alternative fuels such as LNG or other sulphur-free fuels
- Installing exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers), which allows operation on regular HSFO
To assist in navigating these waters, DNV GL has developed a series of material:
- The guidance paper, with a focus on scrubbers, aims to provide an update of the latest regulatory developments and enforcement measures, as well as technological and market developments for alternative compliance solutions. It was updated in February 2019 to provide new information on market trends.
- This paper has now been complemented by a new technical guidance brochure focusing on the fuel switch option and how to prepare for that in an efficient manner. Key considerations include the different fuel options available, practical challenges you need to pay attention to, and how to operate safely with the new fuel. Preparing a Ship Implementation Plan (SIP) can help to smoothen and ease the fuel switch process.
- A new checklistdocument briefly summarizes all the necessary steps for a fuel switch, to comply with the global sulphur cap on time.