The United States is sharpening its focus on enforcement of the IMO 2020 fuel sulfur emissions cap, which could result in harsh penalties for vessel operators caught attempting to sidestep the regulation. In new guidance issued by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), vessels calling on U.S. ports will be expected to carry documents showing they are burning fuel with a sulfur content of no more than 0.5% while in international waters, a regulation that went into force on Jan. 1. In addition to burning lower-sulfur fuel, ships can comply by filtering emissions using a “scrubber” in the ship’s smokestack or by using an alternative fuel such as liquefied natural gas. Regulations tighten further on March 1, when a high-sulfur fuel carriage ban goes into effect and ships will no longer be able to carry noncompliant fuel in their bunker tanks. Vessel industry representatives have been skeptical about the ability […]