MEPC76/5/6 - AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION Review of 2020 marine fuels quality Submitted by ISO
Circular Ref: O(21)11
Issue Date: 09 Feb 2021
Please find attached a review of the 2020 VLSFO Fuels from January to June 2020 by the ISO, compared to HSFO fuels supplied to ships in 2018. The ISO have submitted this information to the MEPC76 where it will be reviewed.
The document provides information on the distribution of RM and DM fuels with a focus on the main characteristics of VLSFO bunkers as supplied during the period January to June 2020 and in comparison to 2018 HSFO. Data has been gathered from most of the major global testing agencies including those contributing to the IMO sulphur monitoring programme. The ISO also mentions at the end of the report that it is considering including an informative indicator to evaluate whether a fuel tends to have a paraffinic or aromatic character. Such an indicator could be part of the next ISO 8217 standard, which is expected to be published in 2023.