Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Department aims to lower the maximum allowable sulfur content in bunker fuel to 0.5% from January 2015, an official at the department said Friday. The department plans to submit the legislative proposal on the issue to the 2013-2014 legislative session that will start later in September, another EPD official said in an email.
Under the proposal, ocean-going vessels will need to use bunker fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.5% while they are in Hong Kong waters from January 2015, he added.
At present, vessels are using maximum 3.5% sulfur bunker fuel in Hong Kong waters under regulations set by the International Maritime Organization, while ISO standards have set a maximum sulfur content of 1.5% for marine gasoil, which is used at berthing.
The EPD had earlier considered limiting the maximum sulfur content at 0.1% and had sought views from the industry in an exercise that ended April 8, Platts reported previously.
But the reason behind the EPD's eventual push for maximum 0.5% sulfur limit instead of 0.1% was not immediately clear.
The Hong Kong government is tackling with air pollution and it takes sulfur limits as one of the means to resolve the problem.
Separately, the Hong Kong government plans to lower the sulfur content of marine fuel used by coastal vessels that ply within Hong Kong waters to 0.05% from 0.5%.
"For local marine trades, we completed in January 2013 a technical study, which confirmed the technical feasibility of tightening the sulfur content of local marine diesel from 0.5% to 0.05%," EPD said.
The department plans to submit the legislative proposal by end-2013 for implementation in early-2014.
