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 December 2025
As activity in the US Gulf has stagnated at a lower level, the government is taking steps to encourage fresh exploration and bolster field development work
23 December 2025
The new government has brought stability and security to the country, with the door now open to international investment
23 December 2025
A third wave of LNG supply is coming, and with it a likely oversupply of the fuel by 2028
22 December 2025
Weakening climate resolve in the developed world and rapidly growing demand in developing countries means peak oil is still a long way away
