The International Marine Organization’s sulfur content regulations (IMO 2020) mandate that the fuel used on ships around the globe needs to have less than 0.5% m/m of sulfur. The marine sector will have to reduce sulphur emissions by over 80%.

There are several options to stay in compliance: VLSFO, LNG, HSFO and MGO. Marine Gas Oil, will most likely be the most frequently used since it’s already widely available, operationally tested and it requires no investment or new operating procedures.

Switching to MGO requires careful consideration of viscosity, cold flow properties, flash point, FAME content, and sulfur, particularly in extreme temperatures. Blending bunkers from different suppliers can result in fuel instability and incompatibility.