Cruise ships calling at ports in Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) might be required to use 0.1% sulphur fuel by July next year, if the state’s Baird government is reelected, according to the local daily The Sydney Morning Herald.
The Baird government promised to reduce the sulphur content in marine fuel from the current 3.5% following reports that pollution from Sydney’s White Bay Cruise Terminal has started affecting the health of local residents ever since its opening in 2013.
Cruise ships using this terminal keep their engines running throughout their stay, seeing that there is no onshore power source provided.
A recent parliament inquiry determined that emissions from the terminal, as well as noise and vibrations from ship engines, have an adverse effect on the surrounding community, suggesting that one way to combat the issue is to retrofit the terminal with an onshore power source.
The NSW Environment Minister Rob Stokes said the cruise ships would be allowed to meet the new cap through installing marine gas exhaust cleaning systems, the so-called scrubbers.
World Maritime News Staff