The regulations concerning the levels of sulphur dioxide emissions form the marine sector are set to tighten in Hong Kong starting from January 2019. Vessels are currently only required to switch to a low sulphur dioxide fuel when at berth in Hong Kong. The planned tweaks in the regulations will, however, require the ships to switch to a fuel with less than 0.5 per cent sulphur when entering Chinese waters. The implementation of the forthcoming regulation will present some challenges. The Finnish maritime industry and Finnish cleantech companies might be able to provide solutions to these challenges.

1. OTSIKKO
ALAOTSIKKO, KUUKAUSI VUOSI
SIGNAL: CLEANER FUEL REQUIRED FOR SHIPS
ENTERING HONG KONG WATERS – INSIGHTS FOR
FINLAND

2. CLEANER FUEL REQUIRED
SUMMARY
• The regulations concerning the levels of sulphur
dioxide emissions form the marine sector are set to
tighten in Hong Kong starting from January 2019.
• Vessels are currently only required to switch to a low
sulphur dioxide fuel when at berth in Hong Kong.
• The planned tweaks in the regulations will, however,
require ships to switch to a fuel with less than 0.5 per
cent sulphur when entering Chinese waters.
• The implementation of the forthcoming regulation
will present some challenges.
• The Finnish maritime industry and Finnish cleantech
companies might be able to provide solutions to
these challenges.
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Source: Hong Kong Marine Department, Norwegian Maritime Day -seminar, SCMP
Team Finland Future Watch Report, October 2017

3. STRICTER REGULATIONS
REGARDING THE MARINE
SECTORS’ SULPHUR
DIOXIDE EMISSIONS
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Source: Hong Kong Marine Department, Norwegian Maritime Day -seminar, SCMP
Team Finland Future Watch Report, October 2017

4. CLEANER FUEL REQUIRED
STRICTER REGULATIONS REGARDING THE MARINE SECTORS’ SULPHUR
DIOXIDE EMISSIONS The regulatory
tweaks are set to
enter into force in
July 2019 and will
align Hong Kong
regulations with
China’s fuel emission
plan.
In July 2017 Hong Kong authorities announced that the
regulations concerning the allowed levels of sulphur dioxide
emissions from the maritime sector on Hong Kong waters are
going to be altered. The regulatory tweaks are set to enter
into force in January 2019 and will align Hong Kongs
regulations with China’s fuel emission plan.
Hong Kong and Macau were initially exempted from China’s
fuel emission plan due to their status as special administrative
regions (SARs). However, the Hong Kong authorities decided
to be part of the national fuel emission plan in order to avoid a
discrepancy in the allowed levels of sulphur dioxide between
Hong Kong and the mainland. According to experts and
industry representatives a disparity could lead to ships
switching between fuels depending on location and i.e.
switching to dirtier fuel when in Hong Kong waters.
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Source: Hong Kong Marine Department, Norwegian Maritime Day -seminar, SCMP
Team Finland Future Watch Report, October 2017

5. CLEANER FUEL REQUIRED
THE PORT OF HONG KONG - FACTS
• One of the world’s major ports – the 5th
biggest in
2015.
• A total of 370 990 vessels arrived in and departed
from Hong Kong in 2016.
• The port also handled 19.8 TEUs last year making it
one of the busiest container ports in the world.
• A hub – functions as an entry to Mainland China and
the South Asian Pacific region.
• Transshipment cargo account for roughly 60 % of
the port’s container throughput.
• A well-equipped and modern deep sea port.
• The port facilities consist of around 7 700 meters of
deep-water frontage.
Source: Hong Kong Marine Department, Norwegian Maritime Day -seminar, SCMP
Team Finland Future Watch Report, October 2017
5

6. THREE EMISSION
CONTROL AREAS
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Source: Hong Kong Marine Department, Norwegian Maritime Day -seminar, SCMP
Team Finland Future Watch Report, October 2017

7. CLEANER FUEL REQUIRED
The fuel emission
plan will require
vessels entering
these areas to switch
to a fuel with less
than 0.5 per cent
sulphur levels.
China’s fuel emission plan defines three different Emission
Control Areas (ECAs) in which the new regulations are going
to be applied. These are the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), the
Bohai Economic Rim (BER) and the Pearl River Delta (PRD)
which includes Hong Kong waters.
The fuel emission plan will require vessels entering these
areas to switch to a fuel with less than 0.5 per cent sulphur
levels when entering these areas. Current Hong Kong
regulations only require ships entering Hong Kong to switch to
fuels with less than 0.5 per cent sulphur levels at berth. The
regulations will i.e. no longer be limited to berthed ships.
THREE EMISSION CONTROL AREAS
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Source: Hong Kong Marine Department, Norwegian Maritime Day -seminar, SCMP
Team Finland Future Watch Report, October 2017

8. IMPLICATIONS FOR FINLAND
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Source: Hong Kong Marine Department, Norwegian Maritime Day -seminar, SCMP
Team Finland Future Watch Report, October 2017

9. CLEANER FUEL REQUIRED
IMPLICATIONS FOR FINLAND
Future fuels and
technologies are
welcomed in order to
enable the intended
regulatory
adjustments.
According to industry experts the implementation of the new
regulation will present some challenges. Government officials
have also stated that future fuels and technologies are
welcomed in order to enable the intended regulatory
adjustments. This may present opportunities for the Finnish
maritime industry as well as for Finnish companies providing
different cleantech solutions.
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Source: Hong Kong Marine Department, Norwegian Maritime Day -seminar, SCMP
Team Finland Future Watch Report, October 2017

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