Brussels tells member states how many ships to check for sulphur rule compliance
AT least 10% of vessels calling in European ports will be inspected for compliance with recent sulphur regulations, and from 2016 up to 40% of vessels inspected will have their fuel sampled.
New regulations came into force on January 1 this year stipulating that vessels operating in emission control areas need to use marine fuel with a sulphur content of less than 0.1%.
While some vessels have installed exhaust gas cleaning systems, allowing the continued use of marine fuel oils with higher sulphur content, the majority of vessels have had to start using more expensive distillate fuels to be compliant with the rules.
