Cosco taps PetroChina for low sulphur fuel

The world’s third largest container shipping line has fixed a deal to get a sizeable chunk of its fleet fixed for low sulphur fuel.

Cosco Shipping has signed with fellow state-run firm PetroChina, via its bunker subsidiary Double Rich, to get 0.5% compliant sulphur content fuel delivered to an unspecified number of its box fleet.

PetroChina’s fellow state-backed energy giant Sinopec has also readied a low sulphur fuel offering, which it aims to supply from domestic ports as well as overseas locations including Singapore.

Cosco, meanwhile, has been playing its cards close to its chest in how it goes about complying with January 1’s global sulphur cap on marine fuel. It has trialled scrubbers on a pair of boxships and has recently said the trial was a success and an another unspecified number of ships will get scrubbers installed.