Steamship Mutual attempts to examine how compliance to the Global Sulphur Cap is to be determined; what procedures will apply and what will be used to ascertain whether bunkers on board and the operation of the ship are compliant, in relation to vessels without scrubbers or other equivalent means of compliance by reference to the IMO Guidelines available.
Finland and Germany submitted a study to the IMO’s Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) sub-committee, in order to be revised during its session scheduled for February. This document presents results of a measurement campaign for the analysis of the impact of fuel oil quality on Black Carbon emissions. The results indicate that new blends of marine fuels with 0.50% sulphur content can contain a large percentage of aromatic compounds, which have a direct impact on Black Carbon emissions.
In fact, it is said that the Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC) released work instruction CVC-WI-022 with the aim to provide guidance to Coast Guard marine inspectors as well as port state control officers for ensuring vessel compliance with MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14.
The Maritime Safety Agency in China has recently issued Guidelines for Supervision and Management of Air Pollutant Emissions, aiming to standardize the implementation of the January 1, 2020 sulphur cap. The Guidelines define inspection procedures in regard to fuel oil in use on ships, and provisions for alternative measures.
The long awaited IMO’s 2020 sulphur cap regulation finally came into force in January 1st 2020, aiming to crucially reduce shipping emissions, bringing significant benefits to both human health and the environment.
In light of the upcoming 2020 sulphur cap, Africa is preparing to deal with the emissions and the alternative fuels. The impact of the new regulations on Africa will be profound given the mix of lower and higher Sulphur in oil production across the continent.
The UK Chamber of Shipping analyzes the industry’s changes for the last years, highlighting the evolution and the steps taken towards a greener industry, with IMO’s 2020 sulphur cap being the base for the next energy transition phase.
During the second SAFETY4SEA Singapore Forum, Mr. Nick Makar, Senior Vice President, Maritime Administration / Regulatory Affairs, International Registries, Inc., which provides administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime and Corporate Registries, gave his insight on the RMI Perspective of IMO 2020. Mr. Makar discussed the existing regulatory framework for the enforcement of air emission standards under MARPOL Annex VI, and looked at the various measures incorporated into national maritime policies for achieving 2020 compliance.
AMSA issued a marine notice to advise vessel owners, operators and masters of Australia’s requirements for the use of scrubbers, as the implementation of the IMO 2020 sulphur cap is entering into force on 1st January, in line with MARPOL Annex VI and Australia’s domestic law.
In light of the soon approaching Sulphur cap, both shipowners and charterers should prepare to comply with the SOx regulations and potentially deal with the risks and responsibilities of each party associated with the new regulations in chartering contracts, the Japan P&I Club advises.
