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K Line opting for multiple solutions to comply with 2020 sulphur cap

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Japanese shipowner K Line is set to use a variety of methods including low sulphur fuel and scrubbers to comply with the IMO's 0.5% global sulphur cap in 2020.

In the company's annual report K Line president and ceo Eizo Murakami said: “We will use low-sulfur fuel, install SOX-removal equipment (scrubbers), convert fuel to LNG and otherwise proceed with optimal measures on a ship-by-ship basis.”

As well as conversions to LNG as a fuel he noted that there were other alternative fuels.

A number of major owners are opting for scrubbers for large vessels while using low sulphur fuels on small vessels where fitting scrubbers either makes less economic sense or is not possible.

Read more: Safe Bulkers to install Alfa Laval scrubbers on half its fleet

We will proceed on a ship-by-ship basis, aware that we cannot limit ourselves to one particular measure,” Murakami said. The K Line chief also noted the IMO target to cut greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050. “In April 2018, the targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions including CO2 emissions from international ship- ping were decided, then the concrete measures to achieve will be discussed.”

Murakami said the environmental measures would entail large costs and hinted that customers should bear their share of the cost saying that there should be a “sharing the burden fairly among beneficiaries”.