The Middle East Bunkering Convention, to be held on 5-6 February in Dubai, will be the first major marine fuel conference to offer expert assessment of the impact of the IMO 2020 sulphur regulation on both Middle East and global markets.

Conference speakers will discuss initial market reactions to the new regulation in terms of fuel quality, availability and pricing but they will also take a longer, more strategic view on how the industry will adjust to the ‘new order’ across 2020 and in the years ahead.

Will shipping comply with IMO 2020, how will the regulation be enforced in practice and just how tough will the penalties for non-compliance be? Will those owners who have invested in scrubbers be shown to have made a wise commercial choice and what is the outlook for future availability of HSFO as a shipping fuel? What steps should owners and operators take if a vessel bunkers non-compliant or off-spec fuel? And, looking beyond the IMO 2020 transition period, what are the commercial, technical and challenges and realities facing the industry in the future and how best can they be approached?

This is MEBC’s fifth year and it is the largest yet in terms of delegate attendance. Many companies are repeat participants, but 20 firms are first-time attendees and over 18 countries are represented at the event’s training course and conference.

‘Over the past five years, MEBC has grown to be a well-respected and very popular event where delegates know they can tap into the best of industry knowledge and enjoy networking that will really add value in terms of business development and visibility,’ said Lesley Bankes-Hughes, Director of Petrospot Limited, the organiser of MEBC.

‘In the early weeks of 2020, market volatility over fuel availability and pricing is making it very difficult for industry players to really make sense of how IMO 2020 will actually impact them. MEBC will not be making any hasty conclusions or predictions about how the market will play out but it will provide measured and informed strategic insights that will be valuable and enlightening for its delegates.

‘The conference will also look beyond the 0.50% global sulphur cap and consider what is a much bigger challenge on the horizon for shipping – how will it manage its decarbonisation? The fact that this is the largest MEBC so far, shows that the industry really wants to engage in the debate about its future.’

For further information on The Middle East Bunkering Convention visit: https://www.petrospot.com/events/mebc20-dubai