Scenarios: Shippers weigh options to reduce sulphur emissions - Reuters

Posted - Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:24pm EST - By Francis Kan and Randy Fabi- Reuters

Global efforts to drastically reduce toxic sulphur emissions in the shipping industry will likely be delayed for years due to the reluctance of refiners to invest billions of dollars to produce cleaner burning fuel.
The United Nations shipping agency seeks to cut sulphur emissions in shipping by 80 percent in the next 10 years.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has passed regulations to cut sulphur in marine fuel to 0.5 percent by 2020 from the current 2.7 percent, a deadline many in the industry believes is unrealistic.
The IMO will conduct a study by 2018 to determine the availability of bunker fuel that comply with the new fuel oil standards. If the study finds that it is not possible for ships to comply, the deadline could be pushed back to 2025.
Following are the possible scenarios that would allow the shipping industry to meet IMO's anti-pollution standards:

REFINERS STEP UP TO THE PLATE

Complete story at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70G0LC20110117