The Philippines is the latest nation to admit IMO 2020 jitters. The Filipino Shipowners Association (FSA) has warned the domestic shipping sector may not be ready to comply with the global sulphur cap, which starts in exactly three weeks. The country joins the likes of India, Indonesia and Russia to have expressed sulphur cap concerns this year.
FSA chairman and president Dario Alampay told local media today that there was not enough compliant fuel oil across the archipelago. Alampay, who heads up local shipping lines Westwind Shipping Corporation and Baliwag Navigation, has asked Filipino authorities seek a delay from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the local implementation of the sulphur cap, a regulation that was voted for at IMO headquarters more than four years ago.
Alampay suggested oil refineries ought to be fined, not owners, if they are found to not be supplying enough quantities of low sulphur fuel come the start of next year.
The IMO has repeatedly stressed throughout the year that there will be no delays to the start of the sulphur cap, hailed by many as the greatest fuel change in maritime transport for the past 100 years.
