In anticipation of the global 2020 sulfur cap for vessel emissions based on the IMO, Ocean Conservancy contracted Nuka Research to develop a report describing how this may impact vessels operating in Arctic Alaska. A potential HFO ban in Arctic waters was also being considered at the International Maritime Organization at the time of the report. Through a combination of literature review, interviews, and a review of Automated Identification System (AIS) data analyzed previously for Ocean Conservancy, Nuka Research identified the types of vessels using HFO in Arctic Alaska and characterized options regarding their compliance with both the known sulfur cap and potential HFO ban.
