Marine Fuel in the Arctic

Mitigating Risks of Marine Fuel Spills in the Canadian Arctic

Transport Canada has made and continues to make significant efforts to protect the Canadian Arctic, both through our domestic marine regime and through collaboration with our international partners and organizations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

One of the ways we are working to protect the Arctic is by reducing the risks of a fuel spill from ships, including ships using heavy fuel oil (HFO).

Use of Marine Fuels in the Arctic

The Government of Canada is working to further reduce the risk of marine fuel spills in the Arctic, including reducing the risk of a potential heavy fuel oil spill from ships.

Ongoing discussions at the IMO on the use of heavy fuel oil as fuel for ships in the Arctic have focused on:

1. Developing guidelines to reduce the risks of marine fuel use by ships in the Arctic; and
2. Developing a potential ban on the use of heavy fuel oil by ships in the Arctic, based on assessments by IMO members on the likely impact of such a ban.

On the first item, Transport Canada is working with international partners to explore options to reduce the risk of oil spills. Such options could include, for example, enhancing navigational measures, ship operations, infrastructure, and communications in the Arctic.

On the second item, to inform our position on a proposed ban, Transport Canada is working with partners to conduct an assessment of economic and social impacts of a proposed ban of heavy fuel oil as fuel for ships in the Arctic and moving to alternate fuels.

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Requests for information and questions can also be directed to IMO-Canada-OMI@tc.gc.ca after June 28, 2019.