Coast Guard Headquarters Conducts Focused Inspection on Ship Fuel Oil During 'Fine Dust Seasonal Management Period'

The Coast Guard is checking the sulfur content in ship fuel oil. [Provided by the Korea Coast Guard]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Korea Coast Guard will conduct a comprehensive inspection for four months starting from the 1st of next month to check compliance with the sulfur content standards of ship fuel oil and the dust prevention facilities at cargo handling sites.

This inspection is part of the government's seasonal fine dust management policy, which is implemented from December to March when high concentrations of fine dust frequently occur, aiming to reduce fine dust generated from ships and port areas.

The Coast Guard will focus on verifying whether ships are using fuel oil that meets the standards and will also check the proper operation of dust suppression equipment at cargo handling facilities.

The sulfur content in ship fuel oil is a major cause of fine dust in port areas. Both domestically and internationally, the sulfur content standard for fuel oil (heavy oil) used by ships is set at 0.5% or less.

In particular, Korea's five major ports?Busan, Incheon, Ulsan, Yeosu·Gwangyang, and Pyeongtaek·Dangjin?are subject to a stricter sulfur content standard of 0.1% or less under the Special Act on Improvement of Air Quality in Port Areas, compared to general sea areas.

If ships use non-compliant fuel oil, they may face imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW according to relevant regulations.

Additionally, cargo handling facilities that generate dust, such as those handling cement and coal, must install dust prevention nets, dust walls, sprinklers, and other equipment during handling operations to suppress dust generation.

Cho Hyunjin, Director of the Marine Pollution Prevention Bureau at the Korea Coast Guard, stated, "To reduce fine dust emissions in port areas, it is necessary to use ship fuel oil that meets the standards and to minimize dust generation during cargo handling operations."