The first consignment of environment-friendly low-sulphur fuel arrived in Chittagong on Monday morning.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Chairman Md Shamsur Rahman and other high officials were present when an oil tanker named ‘MT TMN Pride,’ carrying 15,000 tons of furnace oil from Singapore, took berth at Dolphin Jetty No 5 of Meghna Oil Company at Patenga in the city.
Previously, BPC announced the import of low-sulphur fuel to reduce marine pollution.
This is the first time BPC has imported marine fuel containing 0.5% sulphur. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) made it mandatory to use marine fuel with 0.5% sulphur from January 1 this year.
In its 2019 guideline, IMO — the United Nations agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution — recommended banning ships from using fuel containing more than 0.5% sulphur to reduce marine pollution.
Before the introduction of the new guideline, ships all over the world, including 35 in Bangladesh, used furnace oil containing 3.5% sulphur content.
Ninety-five percent of shipping companies worldwide have switched over to low-sulphur fuel to comply with the environment-friendly recommendation.
To comply with the new IMO regulation, BPC floated an international tender inviting international quotation for the import of petroleum on June 25.
