- Trafigura launches a new tanker fleet.
- All the ships in the new fleet are equipped with scrubbers.
- They will comply with the 0.5% sulphur emission rate.
- This 32 fleet tankers are slated to be delivered by 2019.
On Monday, 26th March, Reuters reported a new development in the tanker fleet of commodities trader Trafigura. The shipping giant is investing of scrubbers which would be installed on their newly build tankers, in order to comply with the 2020 regulations which seeks to reduce the permissible sulphur emission rate of ships.
The new fleet
Trafigura confirmed an order, announced last June, for up to 32 new build crude oil and product tankers, for delivery from late this year although most will arrive in the first quarter of 2019. “The first vessels will be delivered in October this year. All will be equipped with scrubbers,” the Trafigura spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The spokesperson declined to provide further details on the cost of installing the scrubbers.
Reasons
The new rules laid down by International Maritime Organization (IMO) demarcates a sulphur emissions level of 0.5% from 2020, which is in stark contrast with the present 3.5% emission level.
Slow response to scrubbers
One way ships can comply with the new standards is to retrofit vessels with costly scrubbers, which can reduce sulphur emissions even if ships continue to burn dirty fuel oil.
Some industry analysts initially forecast a low uptake of scrubbers by the shipping industry due to high upfront investment costs associated with the devices as well as uncertainties around possible regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from 2023.
Overall, though it is costly yet installing scrubbers is the only way to address the new emission rates.
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Source: Reuters
