After the successful "IMO 2020 and Beyond: Meeting the Future of the Shipping Industry” event, the Greek Energy Forum (GEF) is moving the discussion a step upwards in the Oil & Gas value chain by examining the impacts of IMO 2020 in the refining industry. The target of the event is to offer the participants a platform to discuss the disruptive effects that this regulation will have on the demand for refined products and provide them with insights on how the European refiners are planning to adapt to it.

The implementation of a global Sulphur cap of 0.5% w/w in the global bunker specification, as specified in the IMO 2020 regulation, is expected to lead to an abrupt change in the economics of the refining facilities. Product demand will shift, and so will pricing, which both will translate to operational changes as facilities will need to respond to the new market environment.

As such, the discussion will be focusing on the impact that IMO 2020 will have on the refinery operations, product trade flows, properties and supply demand dynamics of the crude oil to be used in the refining circuit. It will then move to a discussion about the future of refining margins and the transition of price spreads for middle distillates compared to the high- and low-sulphur fuel oil.