HK owners blast ICS fuel policy
In a remarkably blunt statement the Hong Shipowners Association (HKSOA) has disassociated itself from yesterday International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) statement on emissions policy.
The HKOA has been Intertanko’s main shipping industry ally in its campaign to force the global fleet to switch from residual to distillate fuel. Yesterday ICS released a statement on its submission to IMO the issue, making clear that it did not support such a move and arguing a holistic, goal-based approach embracing different technical means of reducing emissions, including the use the of abatement technology.
The HKSOA statement says: “It is the HKSOA’s view that the shipping industry must be proactive in reducing air emissions from ships. The HKSOA believes that the most effective and early reductions can only be made through regulation that would determine the use of distillate with a global sulphur content cap of 1% in ships’ engines.”
The HKSOA says: “There is no partial or intermediate solution. The HKSOA does not believe in the concept of SOx Emission Control Areas, as these, in the Association’s view, are little more than regional regulation dressed up in an international convention. The HKSOA is, furthermore, concerned that the changeover from high sulphur, high heat and high viscosity fuel to low sulphur, low heat and low viscosity fuel at the entrance to SECAs is an inherently dangerous process in quite possibly the most congested part of a ship’s voyage. The use of distillate with a global cap of 1% would make the SECA concept redundant.”
Completely rejecting the possibility of developing abatement technology the statement continues: “While the HKSOA fully supports the development of alternative technologies to reduce air emissions, the Association does not support the use of scrubbers or any other technology that would permit the continued use of residual fuel in ship’s engines. Ships have incinerated the waste products of refineries for long enough, and shipowners and their crews would now welcome a move towards the use of clean fuels that do not need extensive treatment before use. The Association does not support any solution that would require the fitting of even more treatment equipment that would be expensive for the owner to fit, to maintain and which would present difficulties in the disposal of the residues, the failure of any part of which could result in port state control detention.”
HKSOA Managing Director, Arthur Bowring, said today: “Our views represent the views of responsible and concerned shipowners. We note that the ICS submission attempts to address and take into account the possible views of refiners and others, but we leave it to these other parties to make their views known to the IMO rather than trying to speak on their behalf.”
The HKOA has been Intertanko’s main shipping industry ally in its campaign to force the global fleet to switch from residual to distillate fuel. Yesterday ICS released a statement on its submission to IMO the issue, making clear that it did not support such a move and arguing a holistic, goal-based approach embracing different technical means of reducing emissions, including the use the of abatement technology.
The HKSOA statement says: “It is the HKSOA’s view that the shipping industry must be proactive in reducing air emissions from ships. The HKSOA believes that the most effective and early reductions can only be made through regulation that would determine the use of distillate with a global sulphur content cap of 1% in ships’ engines.”
The HKSOA says: “There is no partial or intermediate solution. The HKSOA does not believe in the concept of SOx Emission Control Areas, as these, in the Association’s view, are little more than regional regulation dressed up in an international convention. The HKSOA is, furthermore, concerned that the changeover from high sulphur, high heat and high viscosity fuel to low sulphur, low heat and low viscosity fuel at the entrance to SECAs is an inherently dangerous process in quite possibly the most congested part of a ship’s voyage. The use of distillate with a global cap of 1% would make the SECA concept redundant.”
Completely rejecting the possibility of developing abatement technology the statement continues: “While the HKSOA fully supports the development of alternative technologies to reduce air emissions, the Association does not support the use of scrubbers or any other technology that would permit the continued use of residual fuel in ship’s engines. Ships have incinerated the waste products of refineries for long enough, and shipowners and their crews would now welcome a move towards the use of clean fuels that do not need extensive treatment before use. The Association does not support any solution that would require the fitting of even more treatment equipment that would be expensive for the owner to fit, to maintain and which would present difficulties in the disposal of the residues, the failure of any part of which could result in port state control detention.”
HKSOA Managing Director, Arthur Bowring, said today: “Our views represent the views of responsible and concerned shipowners. We note that the ICS submission attempts to address and take into account the possible views of refiners and others, but we leave it to these other parties to make their views known to the IMO rather than trying to speak on their behalf.”
