The International Maritime Organization’s 2020 global 0.5% marine sulfur cap is an act of stewardship to protect the planet and human health for generations to come, but the supply and demand imbalances created by the cap encapsulate the law of unintended consequences.
The new sulfur cap is expected to displace around 3 million b/d of high sulfur fuel oil, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. While the 2020 sulfur cap will endeavor to protect the marine environment and human health in an act of stewardship, the excess cheap high sulfur fuel oil sidelined from the bunker industry could prove attractive to nations trying to save on costs for power generation, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and other East Asian countries.
