How would vessel operators be affected?
Since the ECA is likely to become effective between 2010 and 2015, ships operating in the ECA would be required to use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 10,000 ppm; in 2015, this would be reduced to 1,000 ppm. In most cases, ships already have the capability to store two or more fuels. However, to meet the 2015 requirement of 1,000 ppm fuel sulfur, some vessels may need to be modified for additional distillate fuel storage capacity. As an alternative to using low sulfur fuel, ship operators may choose to equip their vessels with exhaust gas cleaning devices (“scrubbers”). In this case, the scrubber extracts sulfur from the exhaust. In addition, engines on vessels constructed in 2016 and later would need to comply with the Annex VI Tier 3 NOX limits, when operating in an ECA. These NOX limits are expected to necessitate the use of aftertreatment technology, such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR).
