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Legislation

Legislation

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The last decade has seen more stringent international and regional environmental regulations that aim to tackle shipborne air emissions. This is only the start.

International Legislation

MARPOL is the very important IMO convention that tackles pollution from shipping .

Annex VI of MARPOL was created to prevent air pollution from ships, including sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM) and greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and ozone depleting substances.

IMO Global Sulphur Cap

IMO proposed back in 2008 to reduce the sulphur cap to 0.50% on 1 January 2020. The IMO confirmed this in 2016 and made it clear that there will be no postponement, grace period or transition period.

Ship owners can use ’equivalent measures’ to comply with the new cap; e.g. exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) – more commonly referred to as ‘scrubbers’.

Download Map (PDF)

MARPOL Annex VI Emission Control Areas (SOx, NOx and particulate matter)

There has been a 0.10% sulphur limit in MARPOL emission control areas (ECAs) since 2015 and this will stay the same in 2020.The current status of ECAs is as follows:

  • Baltic Sea (SOx)
  • North Sea (SOx)
  • North American ECA (NOx, SOx and PM)
  • United States Caribbean Sea (NOx, SOx and PM)

Local and Regional Legislation

Some countries have created special emission control areas, which all have different rules. You will need to make sure that you always achieve the strictest sulphur requirement if there is a conflict between the local rules and the MARPOL global sulphur cap.

China
  • Three emission control areas: the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Bay.
  • 0.50% sulphur limit since 1 January 2019 for all vessels operating anywhere within an emission control area
  • Different rules apply within the various Chinese emission control areas, such as inland waterways, coastal emission control areas and Hainan waters. where a 0.10% sulphur limit is in force,
  • See our Signals Online article.

Read more >>
Taiwan
  • Since 01 January 2019, all vessels calling at Kaohsiung must use maximum 0.50 % m/m sulphur fuel.

Read more >>
European Union
  • Since 2010, all vessels must changeover to 0.10% m/m maximum sulphur fuel oil when ‘at berth’ in EU and European Economic Area (EEA) ports.
  • This is due to EU Directive 2005/33/EC.
  • It applies to all calling vessels, regardless of Flag.
  • The changeover is undertaken as soon as possible after arrival and as late as possible prior to departure so it effectively only impacts fuel used by auxiliary engines and boilers when either alongside or at anchor.

Read more >>

 
Turkey
  • Although not a member of the EU, Turkey introduced legislation in 2012 that falls in line with the EU directive.
  • As such, all vessels at berth in Turkish ports or operating in the inland waterways must use fuel with a sulphur content of no more than 0.10%.
State of California
  • Sulphur content in marine gas oil (DMA) and marine diesel oil (DMB) is limited to 0.10% by the California Ocean-Going Vessel (OGV) Fuel Regulation.
  • It applies to all vessels within the OGV regulatory zone, which extends 24nm from the Californian coast .
  • This means vessels must changeover to distillate fuels before entering Californian waters.

Read more >>
Hong Kong
  • New Hong Kong air pollution control regulations have applied since 1 January 2019.
  • All ocean-going vessels entering Hong Kong waters must only use:
    • marine fuel with sulphur content not exceeding 0.50%,or;
    • liquefied natural gas, or;
    • any other fuel approved by the Director of Environmental Protection.
  • There may be an exemption for vessels using onboard equipment (e.g. scrubbers).

Read more >>

 
South Korea
    • From 1 September 2020, vessels at berth or at anchor in the port areas of Incheon, Pyeongtaek and Dangjin, Yeosu and Gwangyang, Busan and Ulsan must burn fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.10%. The changeover to compliant fuel must take place within one hour of arrival and must not change back until within one hour before departure.
    • Korean sulphur-limiting regulations are likely to be expanded on 1 January 2022, where all vessels must operate on 0.10% S max fuel whenever operating in designated zones around the aforementioned ports – these zones will form the Korean ECA.

Read more https://www.nepia.com/industry-news/speed-limits-and-ecas-in-south-korea/

Local regulations limiting discharge of wash waste

Vessels fitted with open loop scrubbers discharge their wash waste into the sea. Some nations, regions and ports have already confirmed that use of open loop scrubbers will not be allowed within the port limits and we expect that more will follow.

Read our Industry News article for more detail here.

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