Fujairah oil hub offers cleaner marine fuels ahead of new rules

The port of Fujairah in the UAE has begun offering cleaner marine fuel oils that comply with stricter global emissions rules which come into effect at the start of 2020, a port document showed.

Marine fuels, also known as bunkers, with a maximum 0.5 per cent sulphur content are “available in Fujairah as early as February 2019 onwards,” said a notice to mariners posted on the Port of Fujairah’s website.

Fujairah is among the world’s largest bunkering hubs.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will prohibit ships from using fuels with sulphur content above 0.5 per cent from January 1, 2020, compared with 3.5 per cent today.

To comply with IMO 2020 rules, shippers can switch to burning cleaner but more expensive oil, invest in exhaust cleaning systems known as scrubbers that may allow them to still use cheaper high-sulphur fuels, or redesign vessels to run on alternatives like liquefied natural gas (LNG).

In January, Fujairah port authorities announced they would ban open-loop scrubbers, mirroring a similar moves in Singapore – the world top bunkering hub – and China.