ECA rules 'essential and timely' – but at a cost

From 1 January 2015, all ships operating within the ECA (emission control area) regions of North Europe and the US must burn either low-sulphur fuel of a content no higher than 0.1% or install scrubbers to remove sulphur from exhaust systems after combustion. Here, shipping services organisation Dryad Maritime, director Karen Jacques looks at the impact that the new IMO regulations is having on the shipping community and concludes that the cost structures for ships trading in ECA zones will change. Ms Jacques believes that that the lower sulphur emission regulations are “essential and timely” but that in the short and medium-term “patience, time and significant financial resource will be required”.