IMO 2020 - A timeline for change over to compliant fuel

Rajiv Nigam, general manager – technical services group for WSM, told attendees at the seminar, “Time is of essence here.”

In terms of cleaning tanks ahead of using compliant LFSO ahead of the 1 January 2020 deadline to start using 0.5% sulphur fuel Nigam said that if you were planning to this in a yard you need to plan to day for space at a shipyard, while if you planned to clean one tank at a time while still trading, you also needed to plan today. He also stressed training the crew in procedures.

Learn more about complying with IMO 2020 at "A practical guide to upcoming regulations" at the Sea Asia 2019 Conference

Nigam set out a timeline for preparation for the switchover to compliant fuel which notably started as early as January this year. The timeline is set out below:

Jan – Aug 2019          - Plan with charterer/owner

Mar                              - Cleaning/modification of tanks/pipes

Jul                               -  Bunker changeover procedure explained to crew

Aug                              - Finalise switchover plan

Sept – Oct                   - Onboard bunkers switched to compliant fuel

Nov                              - Sea trial with compliant fuel

Dec                              - Any fuel containing 0.5% sulphur and above to be consumed by 31 December 2019

Jan 2020                      - IMO Sulphur Cap 2020 enters into force

Feb                              - All tanks cleaned and records maintained with evidence by 29 February 2020

Read more: Sulphur 2020 tank cleaning challenge could cost billions