A ban on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil as fuel in Arctic waters has come into force, according to Ship & Bunker.
The ban has come into force as of July 1, having been adopted by the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee in June 2021.
The ban was introduced in a bid to reduce the damage from black carbon emissions from ship exhausts on Arctic ice.
Ships are now banned from carrying or using HFO with a density at 15°C higher than 900 kg/ m3 or a kinematic viscosity at 50°C higher than 180 mm2/s as fuel in Arctic waters.
Tankers carrying HFO as cargo are not affected, and exemptions for some other ships will apply until July 1, 2029.