Sulphur dioxiode (SO2) is formed when the sulphur in the fuel is oxidised during the combustion in the engines.
EU calculations show that between 2000 and 2020, Sulphur dioxide on shore will decrease by 68 per cent, while emissions from shipping will increase by 45 per cent. With this change, shipping emissions will exceed the total emissions of shore-based industries by 2020 if nothing is done concerning the shipping industry.
The reason for this is that tougher laws are being adopted on shore while shipping has been standing still. In terms of today’s average vehicle and fuel, an average ship will emit 200 times more sulphur per tonne/kilometre than a European truck. The maximum permissible sulphur content of diesel oil for road traffic in EU is 1000 times less than the limits for shipping within specially defined Emission Controlled Areas and 3500 times less than for global shipping.
However, the legislation on the sulphur content in fuel for shipping have been tightened, specially in sensitive areas, why the outcome will be completely different.
Heavy Fuel Oil, an energy-demanding product
Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is a residual fuel as it is what remains after processing crude oil to obtain the lighter products. As the demand for lighter products increases, refineries are extracting more light products leaving even heavier residues, with higher sulphur content, for conversion to ship fuel. In order to reduce the sulphur content to allowable limits the oil is blended with lighter producs and chemicals. In order to be able to use the oil, it has to be pre-heated by steam. This is an energy-demanding process in itself. This is the fuel that vessels normally operate on.
Read about our solutions within sulphur emissions