Global fuel consumption by ships by fuel type 2019-2020
In 2020, there was a shift from using heavy fuel oil to using light fuel oil to power ships. In that year, around 65.5 million metric tons of light fuel oil were consumed by ships, compared to just 6.5 million metric tons the year earlier. In 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) put a cap on the sulfur content of marine fuels, prompting the shipping industry to switch to cleaner fuels and equip their vessels with sulfur abatement systems.
