Lloyd’s Register is pioneering an Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL) service, following the requirement coming into force last year.
This is a new requirement in the 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) for discharges incidental to the normal operation of vessels. It is aimed at protecting US waters from ship-borne pollutants and reducing the amount of invasive species being introduced. As of December 2013, all vessels over 79 feet operating in US waters must use EALs in all oil-to-sea interfaces of the ship and must switch-over before their next drydock.
The challenge for shipowners is deciding which lubricants need to be changed to EALs and whether any lubricants cannot be changed because it’s technically infeasible.
LR’s new service has been designed to help shipowners comply with this new requirement by collecting information relating to the lubricants used in the ship oil-to-sea interfaces and providing a ship-specific EAL report and statement of fact.
The EAL report provides a cost-effective solution for shipowners identifying any areas of the ship that cannot be changed for technical reasons. The new service also helps shipowners to compile their annual report for discharges of non-EALs.
Upon satisfactory completion of the EAL Report, LR issues a statement of fact summarising the work carried out and stating that they believe the vessel is now in compliance with the new requirement.
Lloyd’s Register has been talking with the US Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the new service is aligned with their methodologies and to give shipowners the peace of mind that their ships will comply with the EAL requirements. The US Environmental Protection Agency has also given LR positive feedback about the format of the EAL report and statement of fact.
Yannis Mavroudis, Superintendent, Lomar Shipping : “We wish to thank LR for their outstanding co-operation and found the EAL service very useful and appropriated for the Lomar vessels which operate in US waters.”
Jose Gonzalez Celis, Senior Environmental Specialist, Lloyd’s Register: “LR is already providing this service to over 20 clients, across a wide range of vessel types and we are seeing an ever-increasing interest.”
Source: LR
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