국제해사기구 환경규제 강화와 벙커링 대안의 경제성 연구

A Study on the IMO Environmental Regulations and Economic Feasibility of Bunkering Options

Global regulations on international shipping has been tightened by International Maritime Organization(IMO) and the bunkering market is expected to change accordingly. This study reviews the environmental regulations stipulated by IMO, including the global upper limit on the sulfur content of fuel oil used by ships and energy efficiency regulations for ships to reduce GHG emissions. The study also analyzes economic viability of three main bunkering options to comply with the current IMO’s sulfur regulation. The result shows that the most cost-effective bunkering option changes depending on the relative fuel prices and the type of scrubber installed. It also suggests that fuel costs, rather than capital investment costs, are the major factor determining relative economic viability of the options in most of the cases examined.