Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, stated this on
Wednesday in Lagos at the opening of a two-day meeting of the Agency with
modular and other refinery operators and fuel oil suppliers in the country.
Jamoh, who was represented by Acting Head, Marine
Environment Management (MEM) Department, NIMASA, Isa Mudi, said the agency had
made deliberate effort to conform to the new fuel oil mandate, known as IMO
2020.
He said, “As the country’s shipping regulator, we have had
interfaces with the relevant stakeholders on how to reach a win-win agreement
on Nigeria’s compliance with the IMO sulphur content cap. We are happy to
announce that the coast is clear for us to achieve this mandate.
“Nigeria has an advantage ab initio, because we produce low
sulphur crude. The challenge for us now is conversion of this advantage to
availability of bunker fuels that meet the IMO mandate.
“I make bold to say that we have all it takes to be the
bunker fuel hub for Sub-Saharan Africa. There is a $2 billion bunker fuel
market in Sub-Saharan Africa waiting to be harnessed by our business men and
women.
“Our refineries are not working at full-capacity, and this
is an opportunity for the modular and other private refineries to come in to
fill a vital gap in the marine fuel supply chain. Bunker fuel is a critical
element in the shipping business.
“With the coming into effect of IMO 2020, we assure you as
an Agency that the country’s shipping community will be galvanised to ensure
availability, supply, and, in fact, self-sufficiency in 0.5 per cent sulphur
content fuels in line with the IMO standard.”
In their contributions, representatives of the refineries
and fuel oil suppliers pledged their cooperation with NIMASA and other relevant
government agencies in the attempt to make the required fuel accessible.
The new sulphur oxide emissions cutting regulations mandate
a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 per cent in marine fuels globally. The change
is driven by the need to reduce air pollution generated in the shipping
industry by reducing the Sulphur content of fuels that ships use.
The regulation came into force on January 1, 2020, marking a
significant milestone in efforts to improve air quality, preserve the
environment and protect human health.
The IMO 2020 rule limits the sulphur in the fuel oil used on
board ships operating outside designated emission control areas to 0.50 per
cent m/m, a significant reduction from the previous limit of 3.5 per cent.
Within specifically designated emission control areas, the limits were already
stricter (0.10%). This new limit was made compulsory following an amendment to
Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from
Ships (MARPOL).
There was a large turnout of refinery operators and industry
stakeholders at the meeting. They included representatives of Niger Delta
Refinery (NDR), Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), and OPAC Refinery.
The meeting had in attendance representatives of government
agencies, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Standards Organisation
of Nigeria (SON), and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
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