Port Notice 8/20 – Sulphur Content In Marine Fuels

The Ports and Yachting Directorate issued Port Notice Number 08/20 of 2020 entitled 'Sulphur Content in Marine Fuels', whereby attention was drawn to the provisions of the Quality of Fuels Regulations (S.L. 545.18). These regulations transposed the requirements of various EU directives regulating the quality of marine fuels that must be abided by all ships when calling in Maltese Ports and when traversing within Maltese internal and territorial waters.

The Port notice laid out a number of exemptions to the maximum sulphur (SOx) content to be used in marine fuels, noting that, amongst others, these limits were not applicable to fuels used by: war ships, ships in the process of securing the safety of a ship or saving lives at sea, ships that have been damaged where the owners or master have not acted with intent or recklessly, ships at berth for less than two hours using shore side electricity or ships using approved emission abatement methods. Exempted ships are to