Ferry operators and local businesses in the United Kingdom are protesting new rules on sulfur emissions in the European Union, arguing that they will result in a major hike in the cost of transporting people and goods between Britain and Continental Europe, the Plymouth Herald reports.
Tim Jones, chairman of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, said ferry transportation to Plymouth, England is worth "many millions of pounds" over the next two decades.
"You just can't play roulette with that through barking mad regulations," he said.
Brittany Ferries, which links Plymouth and other UK cities to France and Spain, says its costs are set to rise 60 percent when new regulations drop the sulfur limit in the European emissions control area (ECA) to 0.1 percent in 2015.
The ferry company says using more expensive lower-sulfur bunkers will force it to raise fares 20 percent, which could result in fewer passengers and a reduction in the number of ferry journeys.
Brittany Ferries is calling for the British government to ask for a delay in the implementation of the new rules.
BBC News reports that the ferry industry is seeking exemption from the low-sulfur rules until 2020, arguing that this would give it time to develop alternative fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG).
In August, a UK Shipping Committee called for changes to the implementation of the sulfur limits, arguing that the sudden introduction of the new rules "could have a serious impact on both the local, regional, and national economy."
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