With this in mind, Platts said that starting in January next year, it will create an index “agile enough to react quickly to market dynamics”, which it said would aim to reflect a price or surcharge in dollars per container. Fewer than 2,000 of the world 's 60,000-strong merchant fleet are expected to fit scrubbers to their vessels ahead of 2020 , requiring them to be installed as an alternative to low - sulphur fuel oil ( LSFO ) , according to a report by Swedish financial services group AB . It said shipowners cited the high cost of LSFO compared to traditional heavy fuel oil - $ 580 per tonne versus $ 370 per tonne - as a reason to purchase , while many firms said they were hoping to pass on the additional costs to charterers as a pass - through expense .
Fewer than 2,000 of the world 's 60,000-strong merchant fleet are expected to fit scrubbers to their vessels ahead of 2020 , requiring them to be installed as an alternative to low - sulphur fuel oil ( LSFO ) , according to a report by Swedish financial services group AB . It said shipowners cited the high cost of LSFO compared to traditional heavy fuel oil - $ 580 per tonne versus $ 370 per tonne - as a reason to purchase , while many firms said they were hoping to pass on the additional costs to charterers as a pass - through expense .