More change ahead for the shipping sector
An unwinding of some Covid-related effects might challenge VLSFO’s initial IMO 2020 win
It is easy to overlook, amid the fallout from and response to Covid-19, the seismic shift that fundamentally altered the global bunker industry over the last year. At the beginning of January, the permissible sulphur content of marine fuels was lowered from 3.5pc to 0.5pc, a seemingly small regulatory change with lasting implications across multiple industries. IMO 2020, as the regulation is known, has forever transformed the global bunker market, although many of the more dire expectations surrounding the regulation have been temporarily blunted by the market reaction to Covid-19. One year after its rollout, the bunker market remains in a precarious position. The new sulphur standard has s
Also in this section
24 January 2025
Domestic companies in Nigeria and other African jurisdictions are buying assets from existing majors they view as more likely to deliver production upside under their stewardship
23 January 2025
The end of transit, though widely anticipated, leaves Europe paying a third more for gas than a year ago and greatly exposed to supply shocks
23 January 2025
The country’s government and E&P companies are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to increase domestic crude output as BP–ONGC tie-up leads the way
22 January 2025
The return of Donald Trump gives further evidence of ‘big oil’ as an investable asset, with the only question being whether anyone is really surprised