Recent gas related developments at IMO

IGC Code update

The draft revised International Gas Carrier (IGC) Code was approved at the 92nd Session of IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 92) in June 2013. Following IMO protocol, the revised Code now goes through an official review period until adoption at MSC 93 in May 2014, with a corresponding entry-into-force date of January 2016. The revised IGC Code will not be retroactive, but will apply only to vessels built after the entry-into-force date. There area few parts of the revised IGC Code requiring clarification and these are being discussed with various flag states, the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) and the IMO working group chairs. It is notenvisioned that these clarifications will impact either adoption or the entry-into-force date

IGF Code update

As IMO is currently between relevant sub-committee sessions, the development of the International Code for Ships using Gas or other Low Flash-Point Fuels (IGF Code) is being progressed via correspondence group. While the primary focus of the correspondence group remains the use of LNG as marine fuel, the group has also been tasked by IMO to also address methyl alcohol and low-flash diesel fuels.Once work on these three fuels has been completed, other potential low flash-pointfuels, such as LPG, will be addressed. Realistically, the IGF Code is now at least 18 months behind the IGC Code,as the next full sub-committee meeting dealing with the IGF Code will not meet until the autumn of 2014. This means that approval of the IGF Code should not be expected before MSC 94 in November 2014, followed by a review period, adoption and, optimistically, a corresponding entry-into-force date of July 2017.

EEDI for gas carriers

With IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) regime for conventional propulsion systems having entered into force 1 January 2013, the focus at IMO’s most recent Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in May 2013 turned to non-conventional propulsion systems. Conventional propulsion systems include direct-drive, diesel propelled arrangements. Non-conventional propulsions systems include both steam turbines and diesel-electric, i.e. DFDE/TFDE, plants. As a result, amendments to MARPOL Annex VI were approved, witha corresponding entry-into-force date of January 2016, to require LNG carriers powered by a non-conventional propulsion type to comply with the EEDI regime.

In an attempt to make the application of EEDI to gas carriers fair, the gas carrier fleet has been divided into two – LNG carriers and all other gas carriers – each with its own respective EEDI Reference Line. This means that gas carriers powered by conventional propulsion systems, i.e.direct-drive diesels, including LNG carriersbuilt between January 2013 and January 2016 must meet current EEDI requirementsand the associated Reference Line. AfterJanuary 2016 all LNG carriers, regardlessof propulsion type, will need to meetthe newly created LNG Reference Linerequirements, and all other gas carriers will continue to need to meet the existing gas carrier Reference Line requirements.

IMO committee restructuring

In an attempt to more efficiently manage the work effortsof the Organization, the IMO has recently updated the Method of Work (Committee andSub-Committee work procedures and related Terms of Reference) for MEPC, MSC and their subsidiary bodies. This has resulted in a restructuring of the subsidiary bodies to align with their new, respective terms of reference. In the restructuring the nine existing subcommittees have been reduced to seven.The new Carriage of Cargoes and ContainersSub-committee (CCC) will manage the Gas Codes and the IGF Code. EEDI has been, and will remain, under MEPC and has not been assigned to a sub-committee.