The sulfur content of transportation fuels has been declining for many years as a result of increasingly stringent regulations. In the U.S., federal and state regulations limit the amount of sulfur present in motor gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil. New international regulations limiting sulfur in fuels for ocean-going vessels, set to take effect in 2020, have further implications for both refiners and vessel operators.
The International Maritime Organization will move forward with a plan to reduce the maximum allowable levels of sulfur and other pollutants in marine fuels used on the open seas from 3.5 percent- by-weight to 0.5 percent-by-weight by 2020. The sulfur limits will affect the fuel used in the open seas, the largest portion of the approximately 3.9 million barrels per day of global marine fuel use.
