Ships bring non-compliant high-sulphur gas currently encounter high penalties as well as apprehension under brand-new policies becoming part of pressure outlawing the carriage of such gas, the International Chamber of Shipping alerts.

As of March 1, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has actually embraced the “carriage ban” policy forbiding to ships from bring gas oil with a sulphur material more than 0.5 percent unless the ship is fitted with an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System, also known as scrubber.

The carriage restriction is planned to make it much easier for Port State Control authorities to implement the IMO’s brand-new 0.5 percent sulphur material limitation that became part of pressure on January 1, 2020. Under the brand-new policies, since March 1, enforcement companies will certainly no more need to show use, instead any type of vessel not outfitted with a scrubber system as well as discovered bring non-compliant gas onboard will certainly suffice to show an infraction.

Major port state regimens consisting of Paris MoU, Tokyo MoU as well as the United States Coast Guard (USCG), have actually made suggested to the ICS that they will carefully implement the brand-new demands.

As an outcome, the ICS is advising shipowners as well as drivers of the restriction as well as states the reality that any type of ships discovered to be non-compliant face the possibility of apprehension.

“Since the introduction of IMO 2020 on 1st January, ships have been given a ‘grace period’ while the industry transitions to low-sulphur fuel. As of 1st March this will no longer be the case. Any ship found in non-compliance faces the prospect of serious fines and even detention,” claimed Guy Platten, Secretary General of the ICS.

“The International Chamber of Shipping has been made aware that major port State inspection regimes including the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) have made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that detention of ships found to be non-compliant is both possible and legally permissible,” Platten included.