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The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), at its 72nd session held in London last week, noted that both the annual and three-year global average sulphur content for tested residual fuels was higher in 2017 compared to the previous year.

The data showed that annual sulphur levels had risen from 2.58% to 2.60% between 2016 and 2017 - the highest since 2011, whilst the three-year average rolling figure increased from 2.50% to 2.54% - a five-year high.

A summary of the findings has been provided below.

Year	Annual (%)	3-Year Rolling (%)
2017	2.60	2.54
2016	2.58	2.50
2015	2.45	2.45
2014	2.46	2.47
2013	2.43	2.53
2012	2.51	2.59
2011	2.65	2.62
2010	2.61	--
2009	2.60	--

As Bunker Index previously reported back in February, Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) said it had seen a 33% increase in bunker alerts related to residual fuels last year, compared to 2016.

Overall, in 2017, the company issued the highest number of bunker alerts since the peak of 2014.