FOBAS, the fuel verification company owned by class society Lloyd’s Register, has issued alerts this week about non-compliant fuels cropping up across the continent, a major concern as the IMO 2020 regulation is now less than two weeks away. Defective fuels have been found in Estonia, Antwerp, and Rotterdam. The defective fuels could result in excessive sludge deposition leading to engine and turbocharger damage. In the meantime, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has issued guidance for a harmonized approach to the inspection of ships, ascertaining their compliance, identifying non-compliances and applying control procedures for the enforcement of Directive (EU) 2016/802 (codification of Council Directive 1999/32/EC), as regards the sulphur content of marine fuels.
