Fuels at sea

Ships must pollute less. Their owners can't ignore the impending regulatory changes

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) deadline for emission control in world shipping is fast approaching. Beginning in 2020, vessels worldwide must limit their emissions to the equivalent of burning 0.5% sulphur-content fuels, whether by burning low-sulphur fuels themselves or by installing "scrubbers" to treat exhaust emissions. The change is likely to affect around 4m barrels a day of oil demand. Competition between new blends of oil fuels (very-low-sulphur fuel oil or marine diesels), scrubbers, or liquefied natural gas is likely to be fierce but evolutionary. Each competitor presents different challenges: scrubbers affect fuel efficiency and may be difficult to finance when so m