IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap
D6. Decarbonization, emissions and alternative fuelsDefinition
Limit of 0.50 percent sulfur in marine fuel outside ECAs.
From 1 January 2020, MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14 cut the global limit on sulphur content of marine fuel oil from 3.50 percent to 0.50 percent mass by mass outside emission control areas, where the limit is 0.10 percent. Ships comply by burning compliant very-low-sulphur fuel oil or marine gas oil, or by fitting an exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubber) to use higher-sulphur fuel. A carriage ban on non-compliant fuel for ships without scrubbers took effect 1 March 2020. Enforcement uses the bunker delivery note, sealed samples, and port state inspection.
Source: MARPOL Annex VI Reg.14