THE Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) and
"K" Line have outlined plans to meet the International Maritime
Organisation's upcoming global mandate to reduce sulphur emissions
by requiring ships to use marine fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 per
cent in international waters.
MSC, which is part of the 2M
Alliance with Maersk, plans to fit 29 of its 220 containerships
with scrubbers at a Chinese shipyard. In July the company signed a US$198
million deal with Finland's Wartsila for their
scrubbers that allows for the burning of lower cost high sulphur fuel.
However, questions have been raised
over whether scrubbers will also be a source of sulphur pollution in the ocean.
In addition, the availability of high sulphur fuel may be in doubt as more tank
storage is given over to low sulphur fuel at bunkering hubs, New
York's FreightWaves reported.
Japan's "K" Line plans to use for its fleet of 324 vessels a
combination of low sulphur fuel, sulphur removal equipment and convert ships to
run on liquefied natural gas.
Yet engines that are able to run on LNG are comparatively
more expensive and the limited supply of alternative fuels at ports will
restrict its availability.
Furthermore, low sulphur marine fuel is expected to cost double the price of
high sulphur fuel by 2020.
"We will proceed on a
ship-by-ship basis, aware that we cannot limit ourselves to one particular
measure," the company said in its annual report.
In addition to owning 37
containerships, "K" Line has 101 dry bulk vessels for
carrying ore, coal and grains.
Source : HKSG.
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