First impressions
Meeting IMO 2020’s challenges
Bunkerspot New Year Survey
The first of January 2020 marked a new year, a new decade and a new era for the global bunker industry as the 0.50% global sulphur cap came into force. Unsurprisingly, IMO 2020 dominated the Bunkerspot New Year, New Outlook Survey but – as Ian Taylor reports – our respondents were also keeping a weather eye on geopolitical events and planning ahead for shipping’s 2050 decarbonisation goals.
MEBC Report
The Middle East Bunkering Convention in early February provided some of the first industry feedback on the IMO 2020 transition – from a global and regional perspective. Lesley Bankes-Hughes reports from Dubai on the event’s key talking points.
Bunker Adjustment Factors
Some carriers have already announced new BAFs to cushion the sharp hike in bunker costs caused by IMO 2020 – a move which has not been well-received by shippers. Lesley Bankes-Hughes revisits the contentious subject of fuel surcharges.
IMO 2020 – Fuel Testing Analysis
Gunnar Kjeldsen gives an initial impression of how the introduction of the IMO 2020 global sulphur cap has affected the quality of the fuel samples being tested by Bureau Veritas VeriFuel.
IMO 2020 – P&I Perspective
Tiejha Smyth and Alvin Forster of North P&I Club reflect on how the industry has coped so far with the switchover to IMO 2020 compliant fuels.
IMO 2020 – Fuel Sampling
As the new VLSFOs enter the marine fuel pool, Beth Bradley of Hill Dickinson considers the conundrum of bunker fuel sampling requirements and different interpretations of 0.50% sulphur content.
IMO 2020 – Fuel Stabilisers
Albert Leyson of Drew Marine looks at some of the issues that have come to the fore with the introduction of IMO 2020 compliant fuels.
IMO 2020 – Credit
As predicted, 2020 began with a bunker market disrupted by severe price volatility. Dynamar analyst Hasan Ozturk takes a look at the impact of IMO 2020 on credit exposure.
Decarbonisation
Simon Bennett from the International Chamber of Shipping outlines a collaborative proposal from the shipping industry which aims to accelerate the research and development of zero-carbon technologies.
LNG – Spotlight on Gasum
Gasum has taken a lead in developing an LNG supply infrastructure in the Nordic region. Now, as Jacob Granqvist explains to Lesley Bankes-Hughes, the company is looking to take its position in the LNG bunker market to the next level.
LNG – T&Cs
As more LNG-fuelled vessels enter the global fleet, bunker traders and brokers must understand how marine LNG is bought, sold and delivered. Steve Simms of Simms Showers offers some useful guidelines for LNG sales terms and conditions.
LNG – Climate Impact Debate
As the debate over LNG’s role as a ‘transition fuel’ continues, Bunkerspot’s editorial team spoke to Bryan Comer about the response to his co-authored ICCT report which indicated that using LNG could actually worsen shipping’s climate impact compared to MGO.
Dry Bulk Market Outlook
The dry bulk market has had a shaky start to the year, thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, but Drewry’s Rahul Sharan expects to see a surge from the second quarter.
Sanctions Compliance
Windward’s Ron Crean looks at how players in the bunker industry can reduce the risk of being caught up in sanctions violations.
Talking Point: Bribery Risk in Ports
Ton Van Den Bosch draws attention to the ever-present problem of bribery and corruption in port and terminal development projects. He suggests that companies working in these sectors should develop global strategies to counter these risks.
