IMO secretary-general Ki-tack Lim doesn’t seem quite so cheerful these days, and it’s not hard to guess why. According to rumors, some ship owners will go for deliberate non-compliance with the IMO 2020 sulfur cap to gain competitive advantage, especially in trading areas where enforcement will be weak
Others speculate that ships will burn compliant fuel to get through the restricted area before reverting to high-sulfur fuel in the open ocean. The second idea can be quickly quashed because ships won’t be able to carry non-compliant fuel — if they do and have no scrubber installed, they will be detailed.
Nor is it likely that serious owners will deliberately fail to comply with the IMO regulation in a kind of ‘catch me if you can’ maneuver. Owners who might do that won’t find it easy to enter the port.
The IMO is now focusing on implementation strategies, which will mean detaining ships. Even if neither suggestion is serious, there appears to be a groundswell of disagreement that is putting Mr. Lim under pressure.
