WMU : Global Sulphur Cap Workshop to be Held for the Caribbean

The International Maritime Organization’s 2020 Global Sulphur Cap Regulation came into effect as of 1 January 2020, limiting sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships operating outside designated emission control areas to O.5O% m/m (mass by mass), from 3.5O% m/m. Similar efforts in reductions in both 2010 and 2015 were unfortunately met with numerous incidents of non-compliance. Monitoring and enforcement of the new limit is the responsibility of Governments and national authorities of Member States that are Parties to MARPOL Annex VI.

The IMO’s 2020 Sulphur Cap is a significant challenge for the shipping industry. To facilitate capacity building regarding the new regulation, a cooperation agreement between the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) and the World Maritime University (WMU) is bringing administrations together to share knowledge on sulphur enforcement with workshops in Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa. The workshops are supported by the Danish Maritime Fund, with contributions from the Danish Ministry of Environment.

IMO Global Sulphur Cap 2020

The International P2P MTCC Caribbean Workshop on IMO Global Sulphur Cap 2020 is the second of the three international workshops and will take place 19-20 January, hosted online by MTCC Caribbean located in Trinidad & Tobago. The first workshop was delivered in Myanmar in January of 2020. The workshops aim to provide the opportunity to discuss and share solutions and best practices for effective enforcement. Indicative topics covered included the associated legal basis, fuel samples, document checks, targeting mechanisms, remote sensing and use of sniffers, training of inspectors and sanctions.

Role of WMU

The role of WMU is to provide an overall view on air pollution resulting from international shipping with a focus on air pollutants. DMA and Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) experts will present best practices for the Caribbean region. Challenges with regard to compliance and enforcement of the new IMO’s 2020 (Global) Sulphur Cap will be highlighted by regional representatives. A strong, practical element of the workshop is the opportunity for participants to focus on case studies of particular local relevance, which is led by WMU and DMA.

The final workshop will be hosted by MTCC-Africa in Kenya and is expected to take place in spring of 2021