How Would a Phase Out of Heavy Fuel Oil as Marine Fuel Come About?

In July of 2017, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC), accepted a proposal submitted by Canada, Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States to begin work on mitigating the risks of the use and carriage of HFO as fuel by ships in the Arctic.

Now that the IMO is formally considering this important issue, the IMO has requested that interested member states submit concrete proposals for measures to reduce the risks of HFO to the upcoming MEPC meeting in April of 2018. Over the course of the next two years, IMO member states will thoroughly consider the issue and ultimately reach a decision on how best to mitigate the risks associated with the use of HFO in the Arctic.

The CAA will be attendance at all upcoming IMO meetings in which the use of HFO in the Arctic is considered and will strongly advocate for a ban of the use and carriage of HFO as fuel in Arctic waters.