Comply with IMO sulfur limits
Marine fuel testing is becoming increasingly necessary to confirm compliance with the sulphur limits adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), namely:
-
Designated Emission Control Areas: 0,10% sulfur limit assigned to ships navigating in certain areas: United States, Canada, Baltic Sea, and North Sea (January 1st, 2015).
-
IMO 2020: for ships operating outside these designated areas, the global upper limit on the sulphur content of ships' fuel oil must be reduced to 0.50% - from 3.50%. (January 1st, 2020)
The 2020 limit will mean a 77% drop in overall sulphur oxide emissions from ships, equivalent to an annual reduction of approximately 8.5 million metric tonnes of SOx. Particulate matter - tiny harmful particles which form when fuel is burnt – will also be reduced.
A carriage ban on non-compliant fuel oil has entered into force on March 1st, 2020 (except for ships with exhaust gas cleaning systems installed).