Tag: regulatory update cm

The US Coast Guard issued a reminder on the MARPOL Annex VI amendment, regarding the implementation of an exemption for ships not intended for service within North American ECA, to be allowed to enter and depart the ECA with an IMO Tier II compliant engine. The amendment is entering into force on 1 January 2019.

The 2018 GREEN4SEA Conference successfully concluded on Wednesday 7th of March, at the Lighthouse at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, attracting 750 delegates from 20 countries representing a total of 350 organizations. The event brought together global experts who focused on the recent and future challenges towards a more sustainable shipping industry. 

During its Technical and Executive Committees’ meetings in Singapore on 5 and 6 March, INTERCARGO re-iterated its commitment to a safe, efficient, high quality and environmentally-friendly dry cargo shipping industry and its support, at the same time, for an industry governed by free and fair competition. 

On 1 March 2018, the amendments to update Form B of the Supplement to the International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate, in relation to segregated ballast tanks, entered into force. On 1 March 2018, the Ship fuel oil consumption data reporting requirements and the Garbage requirements under MARPOL Annex V also became effective.

Captain Benjamin Hawkins, chief of the Office of Design and Engineering Standards, speaking in the 97th Annual Transportation Safety Board, said that it is important to realize that advancements in technology are promoting the autonomy of vessels for decades. As this technology is being developed, regulators recognize the relationship between automation and manning.

DMA recommends that autonomous ships are, to the widest possible extent, regulated internationally by IMO to ensure that they can operate in as large a geographical area as possible and to avoid jurisdictional issues. In view of this, EU should await the scope and subjects included in the IMO regulation of autonomous ships before introducing regulatory initiatives.

Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority has given a notice of order to French Engie to take the necessary measures to ensure that safety equipment on its offshore plants is properly operated, tested and maintained, following the condensate leak on the Gjøa field in June.

The climate change and the warming of Arctic seas as a result, have opened the Northern Sea Route as an alternative for more trading routes between Europe and Asia Pacific, an information paper by OCIMF notes. The paper also outlines the challenges and best practices that operators must consider when passing through NSR.

​Maritime regulation should be made more flexible if it is to support the development of autonomous ships, according to a new report by Danish Maritime Authority. The report identifies where changes in maritime regulation are needed and will be used as a platform for the future effort of DMA to develop regulation and make it digitalisation-ready.

The maritime world is in the middle of a period of rapid change, with increasing digitalization, new regulations and shifting markets. Classification societies can help to remove barriers, speed up the process, and assist stakeholders make the most of the new landscape, said IACS Chairman Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen.