“The majority of the deepsea shipping fleet will be using conventional and emerging lower sulfur residual and distillate fuels to meet the 1st January, 2020 IMO global fuel sulfur limit of 0.5%. However, in the short and mid-term, shipping will trend towards a reduction in conventional fuels in favour of alternative fuels, such as low flash point fuels and biofuels,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology. “The regulatory requirements for all options are broadly in place, but each of the fuels possess specific benefits and technical challenges. This Advisory is designed to help shipowners and operators understand the available technologies and technical considerations to make the right decisions for their fleet as they navigate this challenging environment.”
The Advisory focuses on gas and other low flash point fuels that can provide solutions to the fuel sulfur regulations in the short and mid-term. It also examines viable fuel solutions that will support the longer-term transition to low and zero carbon fuels.
To support the decision-making process for future ship propulsion arrangements and fuel strategies, the advisory looks at the regulatory background for gas and other low flash point fuels. There is also an overview of the technologies and operational impacts.