The damage factor of ECA regulations

摘要

The introduction of low-sulphur fuel in Emissions Control Areas (ECA) may have merit in terms of emissions and air quality but it is also throwing up a whole new range of risks associated with bunker quality and possible damage to ships' engines. Experts in the field are warning that ship operators must be increasingly vigilant over the quality of bunkers supplied to their ships, highlighting specifically the wider sourcing of fuel oil by refiners and the increased blending of different products. Ultimately, poor fuel can lead to excessive engine wear through abrasion and, in severe cases, can result in engine breakdown.