Maritime glossary
IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap
The MARPOL rule capping the sulphur content of marine fuel at 0.5% worldwide since 2020.
Definition
The IMO 2020 sulphur cap, under MARPOL Annex VI, limits the sulphur content of marine fuel to 0.5% by mass outside emission control areas, down from 3.5%, and to 0.1% inside the stricter emission control areas. Ships comply by burning low-sulphur fuel (VLSFO or MGO) or by fitting an exhaust gas scrubber that lets them keep burning cheaper high-sulphur fuel. The rule reshaped bunker demand and pricing across the fleet.
How Vessel Hunter uses IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap
Scrubber retrofits and fuel-grade changes are commercial signals. Vessel Hunter helps the service chain spot the vessels affected.
Related terms
- MARPOLMarine Pollution Convention
The IMO convention preventing pollution from ships: oil, chemicals, garbage, sewage, air emissions, sulphur.
- Bunker
Marine fuel oil, colloquially named after the coal bunkers steamships used to carry.
- EEXIEnergy Efficiency Existing Ship Index
An IMO measure of an existing ship’s design energy efficiency, required to meet a CO2 standard since 2023.
The bigger picture
IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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