LONDON (Reuters) – Sweeping new fuel rules aiming to cut pollution belching from ships and save lives are now just a couple of weeks away but with no central policing agency and several countries still not signed up to them, compliance is a major concern.

From January 2020, ships must use fuel with a sulfur content of 0.5%, down from 3.5%, or install devices that strip out the toxic pollutant – known as scrubbers.

As a result, refiners and shipping companies will spend billions of dollars in the years ahead on ensuring fuel and engines comply.

But enforcement of the United Nations convention on cleaner fuels – known as MARPOL Annex VI – rests with individual countries and flag states, meaning for some routes and regions, compliance is already looking patchy.

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Aug 2019