As of March 1, IMO 2020, port authorities around the world tighten their inspections on low sulfur fuel regulation to punish ships that are found to carry incompatible fuel.
The IMO 2020 regulation, which came into force on 1 January, reduced the maximum amount of sulfur in the fuel allowed to be burned by a ship from 3.5% to 0.5%. However, although there is no exhaust gas cleaning system (Scrubber), some ships may have stored high sulfur, non-regulatory fuels.
With the introduction of IMO 2020 on January 1, a tolerant adaptation process is offered between January 1, 2020 and March 1, 2020 as the industry switched to low sulfur fuel. Any ship that is in bunker inappropriateness with the regulation started 1 March 2020 faces serious fines and even the possibility of being detained.
Maritime industry representatives and regulators must be skeptical and careful to prevent fraudsters from using cheaper, unsuitable fuel, which have achieved a significant cost advantage over those who follow the rules. Local administrations responsible for overseeing the implementation of the regulation will check whether the ship meets the valid sulfur limit, taking into account the bunker delivery notes and the specific values of the refueled fuel.
