WELCOME LETTER

摘要

Dear Delegate,Welcome to the 37th Motorship Propulsion & Emissions Conference.The timing of the 2015 conference - just three months after the introduction of the 0.1% sulphur cap in Emission Control Areas - offers a valuable opportunity for the industry to assess impact and (crucially) enforcement so far. It also warrants further examination of the extent to which the three options for compliance (fuel switching, scrubber treatment and cleaner alternative fuels) have been adopted and developed. Switching to lighter distillate fuels appears to be the favoured choice, but are the alternatives gaining in appeal?This event also comes amid a sustained dip in oil prices. The impact of that dip is expected to be negative for offshore operators as exploration contracts, but positive for shipowners as transport costs fall. In regulatory context, lower fuel costs may make fuel switching an even more attractive option. But increased profits (if they emerge) for shipowners might also encourage further investment in alternative technologies.