The fuel used to power massive ocean-going cargo ships and tankers is known as bunker fuel. Often referred to as residual fuel oil or heavy fuel oil, bunker fuel is one of the ‘dirtiest’ transportation fuels still in widespread use today, releasing dangerous air and water pollution.
What is Bunker Fuel?
Bunker Fuel is a thick, tar-like petroleum product left over after the lighter liquid hydrocarbons have been distilled away during the refining process. The heavier components that remain are blended together to produce bunker fuel. It contains high amounts of sulfur, heavy metals and other pollutants. Due to its thick viscosity and polluting qualities, bunker fuel is banned from use by law in many applications on land. However, no such restrictions apply for its use at sea by the global shipping fleet, which transports over 80% of worldwide trade. With ever-increasing demand for shipped goods across oceans, consumption of bunker fuel continues to rise sharply each year.
Health Hazards of Bunker Fuel Emissions
When burned in ships’ engines, bunker fuel emits a toxic brew of dangerous pollution. Sulfur dioxide emissions are a major health concern, as SO2 exposure has been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory problems including asthma. The World Health Organization estimates that global bunker fuel emissions cause over 80,000 premature deaths annually due to SO2 exposure alone. Other harmful emissions include nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter which can penetrate deep into lungs and bloodstreams. Areas surrounding busy ports suffer from persistently poor air quality due to bunker fuel exhaust and related health issues. Exhaust from shipping has even been found to impact air quality hundreds of miles inland from ocean coasts.
Environmental Damage
The environmental impacts of bunker fuel emissions are equally severe. Nitrogen and sulfur deposition due to ship exhaust alters sensitive coastal ecosystems and causes harmful algal blooms and ocean acidification. Over 38,000 tons of particulate matter is emitted annually which also has climate changing impacts. If the global shipping industry were a country, it would rank sixth in the world for greenhouse gas emissions due to bunker fuel usage. Apart from emissions, bunker fuel also poses threats when accidents occur. Its viscosity causes slicks to linger for extended periods, threatening ocean and coastal life. Past spills of bunker fuel have caused severe, long-term environmental damage that took years to remedy.
Driving the Need for Regulation
With its outsized global health and climate footprint, regulating bunker fuel usage has become an urgent priority. Many nations and environmental groups are calling for tighter restrictions on sulfur content in fuel used by ships. The International Maritime Organization, the UN body responsible for maritime security and safety, has implemented phased reductions in the allowed sulfur percentage in bunker fuel. While a step in the right direction, critics argue the new IMO standards do not go far enough or come into force soon enough, given the scale of impacts. Technologies also exist, such as onboard exhaust scrubbers and switches to cleaner liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel alternative, that could more rapidly curtail emissions. However, their implementation remains limited so far due to lack of political commitment and additional costs. As public pressure mounts over bunker fuel’s consequences, stronger policy action will be needed to safeguard communities and create a sustainable future for global shipping.
Options for Reform
A variety of options exist that could reform bunker fuel practices and help transition the shipping industry away from its dependence on such a polluting fuel source. Establishing emission control areas with even stricter caps on air pollutants in coastal waters near population centers would offer immediate health benefits. A toughening of upcoming IMO standards to require very low sulfur content globally by 2025 instead of 2050 could avert over 100,000 premature deaths according to one study. A carbon tax or emissions trading scheme applied to international shipping could provide an economic incentive for fleet operators to install exhaust scrubbers or retrofit vessels. Publicly financing research into zero-carbon marine fuels like ammonia or hydrogen fuel cells could also foster innovation to ultimately phase out bunker fuel altogether over the long run. Finally, port communities have an important role by establishing bunker fuel surcharges to fund local emissions mitigation efforts and transition planning. Concerted action across many such policy fronts will be essential to curtail the impacts of bunker fuel and safeguard the health of millions worldwide that live near shipping routes.
Bunker fuel poses preventable threats to public health, climate and the environment that can no longer be ignored. As one of the largest sources of air pollution globally, its consequences are too extensive to allow business as usual. While shipping plays a vital economic role, continued reliance on bunker fuel comes at an unaffordable social cost. With prudent regulation and cooperative international action, cleaner alternatives can be advanced to curb bunker fuel’s damaging effects. Protecting communities from its toxic emissions and transitioning to more sustainable fuels for global trade should be priorities to safeguard a livable planet for future generations. Overall change is needed to ensure public well-being is not compromised by this polluting leftover of the oil refining process.
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