Why You’ll Feel Cleaner Ship Fuel in Wallet and Lungs

Shipowners and refiners are facing the biggest change to their industries in a generation: strict environmental rules for vessel fuel that kicked in on Jan. 1. The new cap on sulfur content has already caused fuel costs to spike for thousands of ships, meaning prices for consumers could rise. If adopted widely -- and enforced strictly -- the new regulations could represent one of the biggest steps ever taken to improve air quality.

Fuel must have a maximum sulfur content of 0.5%, down from the 3.5% limit in most cases previously. Known as IMO 2020, the regulation was set by the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping as well as marine pollution by ships. Sulfur emissions are linked to acid rain and medical conditions such as asthma and cardiovascular disease.