Oil price collapse cools interest in sulfur scrubbers

摘要

London—Shipowners are holding back from installing sulfur scrubbers on their vessels despite tough new emissions rules because the sharp fall in oil prices is making the short-term alternative of burning marine gasoil more competitive. Since January 1, ships operating within any Emission Control Area—comprising the Baltic, North Sea, and waters off North America—are only permitted to burn fuel with a maximum 0.1% sulfur content, down from the previous 1% limit. This means high-sulfur fuel oil can only be burned in vessels if scrubbers are fitted to filter out the sulfur.