Shipping companies running itinerant merchant vessels known as tramps are concerned about sourcing fuel to comply with one of the biggest ever shake-ups of the industry next year, the head of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) said. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has banned the use of fuel with a sulphur content exceeding 0.5% from the beginning of January 2020, down from a maximum of 3.5% now, unless it is to power a ship equipped with a “scrubber” to clean the pollutant from exhaust emissions. “We believe the (fuel) ...

From 1 January 2020, sulphur oxide emissions from ships will be reduced considerably under a forthcoming International Maritime Organization (IMO) rule. This will have significant benefits for human health and the environment – but also represents a challenge for the industry. The preparedness of all stakeholders for this significant change – as well as its challenges – were highlighted during a Symposium on IMO 2020 and Alternative Fuels, held at IMO, on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 October. The symposium brought together a range of speakers, including those from Member ...

U.S. crude exports to Asia, which have slumped due to record freight costs, stirred on Thursday as rates slid and the premium in Asia for Russia’s ESPO Blend oil sent buyers back to U.S. grades, according to market sources. Oil shipping costs for United States Gulf Coast to Asia cooled this week from record highs on the prospect of more vessels becoming available. Nearly 300 oil tankers globally were placed off limits due to U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela. Seventeen supertankers returned to service in October after being sidelined ...

This week’s New ConTex numbers do paint a picture of uncertainty. One might get the impression that the charterer market has lost some

Supply of bunker fuels meeting the 0.50% sulphur limit is now increasing rapidly and is outstripping demand in many locations, IBIA’s Director, Unni Einemo, told a Symposium on IMO 2020 held at the London headquarters of the International Maritime Organization on 17 October, 2019. She said the “IMO 2020 effect” is now causing market disruption as the bunker industry prepares for the global low sulphur rule taking effect on 1 January 2020. Supply of very low sulphur fuel oil meeting the 0.50% sulphur limit (VLSFO) has been announced with increasing ...

The astronomical TCE of USD 300 000 per day for VLCCs belongs to the past, as rates started dropping at the beginning of the week In many

The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities, extended losses for a sixth consecutive session on Friday, on weak demand across all vessel segments. The Baltic index, which reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, dropped 6 points, or 0.3%, to 1,855. The overall index posted its fifth weekly loss in six, closing 3.6% lower. The capesize index was down by 17 points, or 0.6%, at 3,064, falling for a sixth straight session. The average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically ...

Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) has successfully completed comprehensive R&D work into instrumentation development & test methodology, in order to develop and launch a new test method which accurately measures the Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT) of the new Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFOs) marine fuels. The benefits of this method are detailed in a White Paper written by VPS Group Managing Director, Dr Malcolm Cooper, including the laboratory work undertaken by VPS Chemist, Dr Joshua Sun, which is available on demand. The IMO2020 legislation is responsible for the emergence of ...

Total announces that its first large liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker vessel has been launched, following the signature of a long-term charter contract between Total and Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL) in February 2018. After delivery in 2020, the bunker vessel will operate in Northern Europe, where it will supply LNG to commercial vessels, including 300,000 tons per year for CMA CGM’s nine ultra-large newbuild containerships in Europe-Asia trade, for a period of at least 10 years. The LNG bunker vessel’s construction is in line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) ...

– A total of 54 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships (comprising 49 actual incidents and five attempted incidents) were reported in Asia during January-September 2019 – Compared to 64 incidents during January-September 2018 (comprising 50 actual incidents and 14 attempted incidents), this represents a 16% decrease in the total number of incidents reported – However, in terms of actual incidents, there was only one incident less during January-September 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 – Of the 54 incidents reported during January-September 2019, two were ...

Shell Marine has published a new White Paper that offers ship owners and operators the critical guidance they need on cylinder oils and engine care to transition successfully through the IMO global cap on fuel sulphur content from January 1, 2020. ‘IMO 2020 Ready’ from Shell Marine sets out the commercial, operational and technical challenges faced by customers before, during and after the regulatory deadline. The publication gives in-depth guidance on the cylinder oils best suited to support owners whether they are shifting to lower sulphur fuels or sticking with ...

This year has already seen an alarming number of container ship fires including Yantian Express, APL Vancouver, Grande America, E.R. Kobe and KMTC Hong Kong. The escalation is of growing concern to IUMI (International Union of Marine Insurance) who used a recent forum to call for an urgent improvement to onboard firefighting systems. At a conference in Arendal, Norway, organised by marine insurer and P&I Club, Gard, and attended by IMO, flag states, shipowners, salvors, class, and insurers, IUMI strengthened its position on this global issue. Helle Hammer, Chair of ...

China Marine Bunker Co, a unit of PetroChina , says it has started to supply bonded low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) to all major Chinese ports before tighter fuel standards come into force in 2020 * General Manager Sun Hougang said at an industry conference in Zhoushan that more than 10,000 tonnes of LSFO had already entered the company’s bonded warehouses in China * International Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules ban ships from using fuel oil with a sulphur content above 0.5% from Jan. 1, 2020, compared with 3.5% now, unless equipped ...

Chinese steel futures prices have tumbled over the past week on expectations of a steel oversupply, due to a relaxation of production cuts over winter, market sources said this week. January 2020 rebar contracts traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed at Yuan 3,324/mt ($470/mt) on Thursday, down 4.2% from the end of September. China’s winter emissions control plan does not contain across-the-board output cut percentages, as was the case previously when capacity utilization rates were reduced by up to 50%. Larger, more efficient mills that have invested heavily in ...

Since early September, the shorelines of Brazil’s North-Eastern region have been polluted by an oily substance in the form of lumps of tar. On 10 October 2019, our local correspondent Representações Proinde Ltda. reported that more than 130 tonnes of oil waste had been collected on the many affected beaches and at the time of writing, Brazil’s environmental agency IBAMA reports of at least 120 locations in 77 municipalities in the nine north-eastern states that are affected by the oil spill. Affected areas IBAMA regularly updates maps of beaches and ...