The London P&I Club informs operators to be aware of the Regulations concerning the sulphur content of fuel to be used by vessels at certain times during berthing in specified Emission Control Areas (ECA), Shanghai, Ningbo–Zhoushan, Suzhou and Nantong.
From 1 January 2017 onwards, the requirement to use fuel oil with a sulphur content not exceeding 0.5%mm when berthing has been extended to the ports of Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Tangshan, Huanghua, Guangzhou and Zhuhai. Together with Shenzhen port, which was added to ECA as of 1 October 2016, this brings the number of key ports in the ECA to eleven.
The next stage in the ECA, 1 January 2018 onwards, would be to use low sulphur fuel throughout the whole berthing period.
Operators are adviced to review their bunkering and fuel changeover arrangements to ensure compliance with these Regulations. In particular, operators should ensure that documentary records are in order (as local authorities may inspect them) and fuel samples are kept (as appropriate) to avoid delays and penalties being imposed.
Source: The London P& I Club
