NIMASA Sets To Enforce IMO 2020 Sulphur Regulation On Vessels
Acting Head, Marine Environment Management (MEM) Department, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Isa Mudi (second right), representing the Director-General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh; Deputy Director, MEM, NIMASA, Dr. Oma Ofodile (third right); Assistant Director, MEM, Unit Head, Liabilities and Compensation, NIMASA, Mrs Chinyere Azike (third left); Assistant Manager, Operations, Dangote Oil Refinery Company, Engr. Bessie Nabena (second left); Assistant Director, Head, Climate Change Unit, MEM, Mr Kabiru Bello (left); and President, Centre for Marine Surveyors Nigeria, Engr. Akin Olaniyan, during a stakeholders meeting organised by NIMASA with modular refinery operators in Lagos on Wednesday
…Meets with Refinery Operators, Fuel Suppliers on Making Sulphur Compliant Fuel Available
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is already taking steps to ensure that Nigeria is in compliance with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulation on Global Sulphur Cap which ultimately seeks to significantly reduce the amount of sulfur oxide emanating from ships, and setting a global limit for sulfur in fuel oil on board ships to 0.5 % m/m (mass by mass)
Implemenyation of the regulation had started since January 2020, but Nigeria is yet to begin implementation.
To this end, NIMASA on Wednesday organised a two-day meeting of the Agency with modular and other refinery operators and fuel oil suppliers in the country, strategically to ensure availability of marine fuels that comply with the regulation before implementation can begin.
Speaking, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh noted that shipping is an international business and Nigeria cannot afford to be at the back stage when it comes to implementation of international shipping regulations.
He explained that the essence of the agency holding the conference was to ensure that sulphur compliant fuel is made available in the country for ships, before the agency would start enforcing the regulation on vessels.
Jamoh, who was represented by Acting Head, Marine Environment Management (MEM) Department, NIMASA, Mr. Isa Mudi noted that already, the agency has been working assiduously in collaboration with Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) assuring that already, there is a standard that has been established.
Jamoh 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.”
Jamoh added, “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.
A representative of the Niger Delta Refinery (NDR), Mr Muyiwa Bankole noted that Nigeria has a very good advantage in terms of compliance with the IMO Sulphur Regulation because its crude, named Bonny Light, is best in the world with less than 0.2% sulphur content.
He however said the challenge is that “Nigeria exports all its crude and import garbage from other countries, some of the already refined fuel we import, has higher sulphur content than our own crude”
He assured that his company, Niger Delta Refinery, produces 11,000 barrels of low sulphur content fuel per day, but that this is still grossly inadequate for the number of ships operating in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Technical Consultant to Dangote Refinery at Lekki Lagos, Mr Babajide Soyode said the refinery has been working on producing low sulphur fuel since 2017. According to him, Dangote Refinery has agreed with some banks to make at least 5,000 barrels of the fuel available per day.
He said there was lack of data on the number of ships calling at the port, assuring that with this data availability, Dangote refinery can produce more barrels of low sulphur content fuels.
Mr. Soyode however said NIMASA and the Federal Government must give Dangote an official undertaking before such steady supply can commence.
Representative of Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr Olumide Ajayi noted that Nigeria has one of the finest crude in the world, and that the country can actually become the bunkering hub in Africa.
He advised that Nigerian bunkerers should wake up, come together and must be alive to do business and take advantage of the new IMO sulphur regulations.
He said already, the NPA had issued a marine notice on the need for ships to begin compliance with the IMO registration, but that the agency had to relax it because NIMASA was still strategising on the preparedness of the refineries.
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.
