Bunkerworld: Scarcity Of Low-Sulphur Fuel Predicted

“Publication predicts bunker fuel demand will grow by 9%.  Demand for low sulphur product as a result of impending shipping regulations could well outstrip supply, according to analysts at global shipping and commodity brokers Poten & Partners. According to Poten’s publication Fuel Oil Prospects 2008-2013 findings, refiners are not going to produce low-sulphur fuel oil if their profit margins are not strong and shipowners may have to turn to alternative methods to achieve sulphur reductions. “Once the SECA sulphur limit decreases in 2010, we expect a definite scarcity of low-sulphur fuel oil in Northwest Europe, prompting ship owners to bunker elsewhere, like the US Gulf Coast, Northwest Africa, and the Mediterranean,” Poten’s Fuel Oil Desk told Bunkerworld.”