Fuel switch programme in Asia launched
Maersk will commence using low-sulphur fuel in Hong Kong
Following a successful government supervised testing on "Eleonora Maersk"
on 5 September, Maersk Line on 7 September announced that the company will commence using low-sulphur fuel in their engines while at berth in Hong Kong, thereby kicking off the first voluntary fuel switch scheme in Asia.
Maersk Line makes around 850 port calls in Hong Kong every year. Switching from bunker fuel, which is used at high sea, to low-sulphur fuel will reduce Maersk Line’s emissions of unhealthy sulphur oxides (SOx) and particles by at least 80%. The Hong Kong initiative will entail an additional cost of USD 1 million annually to Maersk Line.
Based on experiences from California, Houston and elsewhere, Maersk Line responded immediately when the Civic Exchange, a local business NGO, and Hong Kong’s environmental authorities explored the possibility of a local fuel switch.
