Port state control authorities will begin to enforce the IMO’s Sulphur 2020 from March 1, 2020, making it an offence for ships to carry fuel that contains sulphur content higher than 0.5 per cent unless the ship has an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System.
In a release, the International Chamber of Shipping has reminded shipowners and operators of the impending ban and reiterated the fact that any ships found to be non-compliant face the prospect of detention.
As of March 1, enforcement agencies will no longer have to prove usage. Showing that vessels without Exhaust Gas Cleaning System have non-compliant fuel aboard will be enough to prove a violation. Major port state regimes, including Paris MoU, Tokyo MoU and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), have made it plain that they will rigorously enforce the requirements.
