Tag: 2020 sulphur cap

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) published a Marine Safety Information Bulletin as a reminder that fuel oil used by all ships operating in Emission Control Areas, or ECAs, including the North American and United States Caribbean Sea ECAs, cannot exceed 0.10% fuel sulfur (1,000 ppm). Ship operators are required to use compliant fuel within 200 nautical miles of the North American coast and within approximately 50 nautical miles of the United States Caribbean Sea coast. Only vessels with a MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 3 trial program exemption issued by the vessel’s flag state, and acknowledged by the United States, or a MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 4 equivalency, issued by the vessel’s flag state, may use fuel oil which exceeds the fuel sulfur requirements. This is consistent with the Regulation 3 permit or Regulation 4 equivalency guidance previously provided. U.S. flagged vessels are subject to inspection for compliance with MARPOL Annex VI. Similarly, non-US flagged vessels are subject to examination under Port State Control while operating in US waters. If an examination of a non-US flagged vessel indicates a violation of MARPOL Annex VI, the USCG has the authority under MARPOL and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) to ...

ExxonMobil is expanding its range of specialist fuels for use within Emission Control Areas (ECA) with the introduction of ExxonMobil Premium Advanced Fuel Marine ECA 200 (AFME 200). ExxonMobil Premium AFME 200 joins ExxonMobil Premium HDME 50 as part of a new category of marine fuel that has emerged as a result of the 2015 ECA sulphur limit of 0.10 percent. These low sulphur fuels help engineers safely and efficiently operate their main and auxiliary engines and boilers. ExxonMobil Premium AFME 200 is an advanced fuel oil formulated using a proprietary refining process that removes sulphur, metals and other contaminants. This enables the fuel to comply with the ECA sulphur cap and also helps to optimise the performance of engines and extend component life. The viscosity of ExxonMobil Premium AFME 200 is comparable to heavy fuel oils (HFOs) enabling similar storage and handling practices for both fuels on board marine vessels. Both fuels require preheating, therefore reducing the risk of thermal shock to engine components during switchovers to comply with the ECA sulphur cap. Thermal shock may result in fuel pump seizures and engine shutdowns and has the potential to occur when switching from heated HFO to marine gas oil ...

Measurements at the Port of Gothenburg show that sulphur emissions from ships have fallen by 80 per cent since stricter rules came into force at the turn of the year. At the turn of the year, the sulphur content in fuel was reduced from 1.0 to 0.1 per cent in the short-sea shipping area around Gothenburg (Baltic, North Sea and English Channel). Measurements now show that sulphur emissions have fallen by 80 per cent at the Port of Gothenburg. The measurements are being carried out using a 'sniffer' located at the Älvsborg Fortress, in the fairway leading in to the port. The sniffer has been developed by Chalmers University of Technology with support from Vinnova, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Gothenburg Port Authority. The sniffer measures the sulphur and carbon dioxide levels in the gas emissions, thus revealing the sulphur content in the fuel. During the first few weeks of this year, the emission plume from around 200 passing ships was measured. It is estimated that 80 per cent of these were approved whilst for 20 per cent the sulphur emissions were too high. "It is incredibly positive to see that the new rules are having such an effect ...

The Swedish P&I Club has issued bulletin on requirements for vessels operating on ECA compliant fuel in Mississippi after information received from New Orleans. In accordance with MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 14.4 and Title 40 CFR 1043.60, the sulfur content of fuel used on board ships operating in the North American Emission Control Area shall not exceed 0.1%. For vessels bound for ports on the Lower Mississippi River, the Captain of the Port in New Orleans has issued the following requirements: 1. Vessel operators shall switch-over to compliant fuel in accordance with the approved shipboard procedures BEFORE entering into the North America Emissions Control Area. 2. All vessels shall report to the U. S. Coast Guard all known or anticipated reductions in maneuverability as a result of using compliant fuel. These reports should include any main engine performance/reduction in available revolutions per minute or delayed responsiveness to engine order commands. 3. When ordering a Mississippi River Pilot vessel operators shall report to the pilot dispatch any change in the vessel's performance as compared to the information stated on the pilot card as a result of using compliant fuel. This same information should be immediately communicated with the pilot assigned to ...

Wärtsilä and Clean Marine Energy announced the landmark signing of the shipping industry’s first collaboration agreement that will provide a convenient funding solution to drive the uptake of exhaust gas cleaning technology. The move is intended to ease the financial burden on ship owners seeking to install scrubber systems in order to meet sulphur emissions legislation. The financing solution, similar to those prevalent and proven in the building environment space, enables a ship owner to repay the cost of the scrubber system installation via a fuel adder, i.e. a fuel premium on the price of HFO by which the ship owner repays the cost of installing the scrubber. This provides a return from the differential between Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and Marine Gasoil (MGO) for a period of four to six years, depending on price spreads. This means that ship owners do not have the burden of meeting the up-front capital expenditure, which is typically between USD 3 million and USD 12 million per vessel. This investment is often difficult to pass on to charterers, whereas with CME financing, the fuel adder charge can be easily passed on until such time as the scrubber system is paid for. The concept ...

  EMSA issued information for state authorities, ship owners, masters, fuel suppliers, agents or operators of ships on Directive 1999/32/EC. Operators should ensure that appropriate procedures are established on board and that the crew is familiar with them. Attention should be paid to the correct completion of ship logbooks, including the time when fuel changeover operations are performed. Ships using separate fuel oils to comply with the sulphur requirements, should carry a written procedure showing how the fuel oil changeover is to be achieved while entering or leaving the SECA. The procedure should allow sufficient time for the fuel oil service system to be fully flushed of all fuel oils exceeding the new applicable sulphur content, prior to entry into a SECA, in order to avoid any contamination. In addition, the volume of low sulphur fuel oils in each tank, as well as the date, time, and position of the ship when any fuel oil changeover operation has been completed prior to the entry into the SECA or commenced after exit from such an area, should be recorded in the logbook. Also, ships provided with an Oil Record Book Part I (Machinery Space Operations) must pay attention to the recording ...

EU authorities are responsible for carrying out inspections, sampling and analysing the marine fuels used on board ships while in their ports. On 4-5 February, EMSA organised its first ever training seminar on the enforcement of Directive 1999/32/EC (as amended) on the sulphur content of marine fuels. Participants were drawn from those member state authorities responsible for the enforcement of the directive and, in particular, ship inspections. The training focused mainly on the requirements of the directive, the inspection process on board ships, with or without abatement methods, documentary verification, the sampling process and the use of THETIS-S (both pre and post-boarding). This seminar follows other efforts which have been made by EMSA to support the European Commission and the member states in the implementation and enforcement of the Sulphur Directive. EMSA has been closely involved in all relevant subgroups of the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF) since its outset. In addition, EMSA has developed THETIS-S, an information system supporting the Sulphur Directive, which has been in operation since 1 January 2015. Furthermore, EMSA, in cooperation with the member states, has produced inspection guidelines for sulphur inspectors which were the basis of the training delivered. Reviews of both the training ...

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) issued marine safety alert as a reminder to vessel owners and operators about the importance of establishing effective fuel oil changeover procedures to comply with MARPOL Annex VI emission regulations.  Recently, there have been several reported incidents involving substantial machinery space fuel leakages while vessels were switching fuel oil to ensure compliance. Although such leakages were contained, fuel releases of any kind may result in pollution, injury or death of personnel and shipboard engine room fires. Moreover, many losses of propulsion have occurred in different ports and have been associated with changeover processes and procedures. On January 1, 2015, the new fuel oil sulfur limit authorized by MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 14.3.4 came into effect, lowering fuel sulfur content from 1.0% to 0.10%.1 The 0.10% fuel sulfur content must be used the entire time the vessel is operating in the North American and U.S. Caribbean Sea Emission Control Areas (ECA). As a result, vessels using higher sulfur content fuels must change to ultra low sulfur (ULS) fuel oil to comply. The vessels must use the ULS fuel oil on inbound and outbound transits, at the dock, and anytime within the ECA. Meeting this requirement requires ...

According to an article published in South China Morning Post, flats near Hong Kong container terminal carry air pollution health risk for the citizens. Although the government recently announced a drop in SO2 pollution last year, there were still 148 instances where SO2 concentration levels exceeded those set by the World Health Organisation. Due to their closer proximity to urban residents, Dr Tian Linwei of the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health said the toxicity of marine bunker fuel emissions could be more harmful than those of power plants. Frequent exposure could increase the chance of heart attacks, strokes and asthma attacks. Long-term effects include lung cancer. Kwong called on the government to speed up legislation that will require all ocean-going vessels, which produce 40 per cent of all marine emissions, to switch to cleaner diesel. The government has pledged to introduce the measure to the Legislative Council within the year. Also read relevant articleMarine emissions in Hong Kong remain serious Source:  SCMPIn the onset, I was explicit with you propecia before and after has changed my life. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is incredible to sit.

The Steamship P&I Club has issued a Risk Alert regarding Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel Oil Change-over Procedures. The Club warns that some boilers may not have been originally designed to burn lighter fuel types and may need modification. From 1 January 2015, for ships without an approved and effective exhaust gas scrubber operating within an Emission Control Area (ECA), the sulphur content of fuel oil used should not exceed 0.10% by mass (10 ppm). All main and auxiliary engines and boilers are affected by the Regulation, meaning that vessels using heavy fuel oil must have completed the change-over process and operate on ultra-low sulphur fuel upon entering an ECA. Note: Prior to 1 January 2020, the sulphur content limit of fuel oil shall not apply to ships operating in the North American ECA or the United States Caribbean Sea area that were built on or before 1 August 2011 and are powered by propulsion boilers that were not originally designed for continued operation on marine distillate fuel or natural gas. Ships operating within the European ECA have become familiar with existing European legislation where the maximum sulphur content of fuels used by ships at berth has not been allowed to ...