Members with ships trading in Brazil are advised on the recent article issued by the club’s correspondent Proinde P&I in regards to the supply of low sulphur bunkers and discharge of scrubber wash-water in Brazil.

The article confirms the availability of compliant low sulphur bunkers at most of the Brazilian ports, like Rio Grande*, Paranaguá*, Santos*, São Sebastião, Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro*, Vitória*, Salvador*, Fortaleza, São Luís (Itaqui), Belém* and Manaus. (* by barge).

However, while the Brazilian maritime authority regulation accepts the use of EGCS (scrubbers) as an alternative way of complying with the IMO 2020 sulphur cap, it is silent on whether there is any restriction or prohibition to discharge wash water from open-loop scrubbers within Brazilian waters and, if so, what is the distance from the nearest land point where discharge is allowed.

Based on above, it is recommended that until the relevant authority clarifies this issue, vessels calling at Brazilian ports are advised to switch to a closed-loop, if equipped with a hybrid scrubber, or use IMO 2020-compliant fuel while entering in national waters.
Source: The Standard Club