Although there are fewer ships operating on HFO than distillate in the Arctic, as defined by the International Maritime Organization, the quantity of fuel on board ships is dominated by HFO at a ratio of more than 3:1.[1] For example, in 2015, a total of 2086 ships traveled in the IMO Arctic, carrying 835,000 metric tons of HFO and 255,000 metric tons of distillate in their main bunker fuel tanks.[2] Although only 44% of the IMO Arctic fleet (925 ships) operated on HFO, these ships carried 76% of the mass of bunker fuel on board ships in the Arctic.[3] In addition, in 2015, 41% of the ships operating in the U.S. Arctic (73 out of 180 ships), but carried 77% of the mass of bunker fuel on board ships in that same area.[4]
[1] Bryan Comer et al., Heavy Fuel Oil Use in Arctic Shipping in 2015, International Council of Clean Transportation, 1 (2016).
[2] Bryan Comer et al., Heavy Fuel Oil Use in Arctic Shipping in 2015, International Council of Clean Transportation, 4 (2016).
[3] Bryan Comer et al., Heavy Fuel Oil Use in Arctic Shipping in 2015, International Council of Clean Transportation, 4 (2016).
[4] Bryan Comer et al., Heavy Fuel Oil Use in Arctic Shipping in 2015, International Council of Clean Transportation, 4 (2016).