Shipping emissions have become one of the major sources of air pollution in port cities and coastal areas. Data shows while a 10 000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container vessel sails with a 70% load for 24 hours, it produces the equivalent amount of PM2.5 against 210 000 National IV Standard trucks. The IMO appointed research institute has forecasted that the global shipping industry is estimated to consume around 300 million t of marine fuels in 2020. From 1 January 2020, MARPOL Annex VI caps the sulfur content of marine fuels at 0.5%, down from the current 3.5%, which is 86% less than current emissions. The global environment is expected to be improved fundamentally in aspects ranging from the quality of air in port cities to atmosphere and oceans.
SINOPEC launched a project in production R&D of the greener low-sulfur marine fuel oil in 2017. In terms of production, 10 refineries located in coastal cities have been projected to produce low-sulfur marine fuel oil. Shanghai, Jinling and Hainan, locations of some of these refineries, have successively produced the IMO compliant marine fuel earlier this year. In regards to supply network development, the supply chain of SINOPEC’s own low-sulfur marine fuel oil has already been established in Shanghai and Zhejiang. Simultaneously, the supply chain is expected to reach Singapore, Hambantota, ARA areas and up to 50 key overseas ports around the globe.
“Reduction of shipping emissions is one of the key factors in the Blue Sky Protection Campaign,” said Mr Lv Dapeng, a SINOPEC spokesperson. “The production and supply of low-sulfur marine fuel oil is a green initiative that benefits the whole world and requires concerted global action.”
