21OCT2019 - NEWS - Chimbusco secures 4 mln tonnes of very low-sulphur fuel

China Marine Bunker, known as Chimbusco, says it has secured at least 4 million tonnes of very low-sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) for the next three quarters and has already started to supply all major Chinese ports from bonded storage.

Demand for VLSFO is set to rise as International Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules will ban ships from using fuel oil with a sulphur content above 0.5% from Jan. 1, 2020 compared with 3.5% now unless they are equipped with exhaust scrubbers.

Chimbusco, part of state-run oil and gas firm PetroChina , already has more than 10,000 tonnes of VLSFO into its bonded storage in China, the company’s general manager, Sun Hougang, said at an industry conference in Zhoushan.