Tag: IMO MEPC

The adoption of EEDI and SEEMP marked the session The subject of Carbon Dioxide dominates the future of many industries today. Whether it be the Shipping, Automotive, Aviation, or Power Generation industries the questions of how to account for, reduce, produce, capture and minimise the impact of Carbon Dioxide generated by that industry is seldom left out of the discussion.So it was Germanischer Lloyd's traditional recap of the latest session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of International Maritime Organization (IMO), focused on the groundbreaking developments at the 62nd session.The 62nd Session was notable for several reasons, the use of a vote to approve the measures rather than by consensus and the establishment of a North American emissions control area for example. However it was the adoption of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) that marked the Session as being of historical significance.Adopted as amendments to Annex VI of the MARPOL Regulations these measures, when they enter into effect, will represent the first global mandatory carbon dioxide reductions implemented by any industry.The forum was held on 25 August at GL's Head Office in Hamburg. More than 100 representatives from the maritime ...

IMO has agreed to include the cubic capacity correction factor A reprieve for chemical tanker operators came with the news that the IMO's MEPC has agreed to include the cubic capacity correction factor proposed by IPTA in the EEDI formula.IPTA general manager Janet Strode said that this was an important inclusion within the EEDI that would allow low density cargoes, such as methanol and MTBE, to continue to be loaded as close to deadweight as possible.The MEPC said; "The (working) group agreed to integrate the correction factor into the EEDI calculation guidelines, and doing so would enhance credibility and confidence in the EEDI formula. However, the group considered that the correction factor presented in document MEPC 62/6/13 would require fine tuning."This fine tuning is due to take place at an intersessional working group meeting due to be held next January, 2012.Addressing propulsion and manoeuvrability in bad weather, the working group said; "The group noted that the guidelines for determining minimum propulsion power and speed to enable safe manoeuvring in adverse weather conditions should be developed in a relatively short time, since the guidelines are referred to in the regulatory framework of the EEDI as being voluntary."The committee summed up by ...

Ship owners need to start taking measures now to lower the carbon footprint Industry opinion among those closely watching the development of maritime CO2 regulation suggests that the IMO's approval of mandatory EEDI and SEEMP measures is only the beginning of an evolving era of greenhouse-gas emissions (GHGs) regulation for shipping. Forward thinking ship owners and operators would do well to start taking measures now to lower the carbon footprint of their fleets and reduce their exposure to rising future compliance costs, they argue.The IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) decision this month to adopt mandatory energy efficiency measures in design and operation of ships is set to come into force at the beginning of 2013. It will see new ships having to meet index benchmarks requiring ever more fuel efficient ships over the next two decades.A compromise won by developing nations means flag states could seek a waiver for their obligations, delaying their compliance for up to six years beyond 2013. But this may not turn out to be much consolation for ship owners hoping to forestall the impact of a new layer of environmental regulation. And now that IMO has after many years come to an agreement to ...

Timely reminder of need for compromise "I wish to say a few words about a meeting of global dimensions that will attract the worlds attention next year. I am, of course, referring to Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which is scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012.The conference will build on the outcomes of the 1992 Earth Summit, also held in Rio; of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg; and of other global events that have addressed the three pillars (economic, social and environmental) of sustainable development.To that end, Rio+20 will focus on two related themes, namely, the creation of a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and of a new institutional framework for sustainable development.Ocean issues and the so-called blue economy, or even the green economy in a blue world, have been highlights of the preparations for Rio+20, in which the Secretariat is actively participating.The challenge of achieving sustainable development is daunting, given the pressures of a relentlessly growing world population on dwindling resources and, consequently, there is a need for mankind to secure alternative consumption patterns through, for example, renewable energy sources ...

MEPC 62 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 At the sixty second session of the IMOs Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) held at the IMO this week, the Committee: adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex IV (Development of Special Area provisions and the Designation of the Baltic Sea as a Special Area) and associated MEPC Resolution; adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex V (Revised MARPOL Annex V) and associated MEPC Resolution; adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex VI (Designation of the United States Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area) and associated MEPC Resolution.Amendments to MARPOL Annex IV (Development of Special Area provisions and the Designation of the Baltic Sea as a Special Area). In summary, the amendments are as follows:New paragraphs were added to Regulation 1, namely:- New definition of a Special Area;- The Baltic Sea Area being designated as a Special Area.A new requirement for passenger ships while in a special area, to be equipped with either a sewage treatment plant, type approved by the Administration, taking into account the standards and test methods developed by the Organization, or a holding tank of the capacity to the satisfaction of the Administration for the retention of all sewage, having regard to the operation of ...

A brief overview of the mandatory measures A brief overview of the mandatory measures to reduce emissions of greenhouses gases (GHGs) from international shipping explained by IMO's Marine Environment Divison Director, Jo Espinoza-Ferrey.

Due to change in procedure for completing Supplement As already advised in ClassNK Technical Information No. TEC-0771 dated 13 May 2009, in accordance with Reg. 14 of MARPOL Annex VI, the sulphur content limit value for a fuel oil used outside of an Emission Control Area will be changed from 4.50% m/m to 3.50% m/m on 1 January 2012 and will be effective thereafter.Required sulphur content limit values are described in section 2.3 of the Supplement to the IAPP Certificate using a check box form. So far, only the check box for the sulphur content limit value which is applicable at the time of issuance of the Certificate has been ticked off. Therefore, whenever a new sulphur content limit values is enforced, the IAPP Certificate needs to be replaced each time.However, the IMO MEPC 61 agreed that section 2.3 of the Supplement should be completed on the basis of all available options, with a view to avoiding the need for repeated re-issuance of the Supplement, as the various given dates are passed. In accordance with this agreement, ClassNK will change the procedure for completion of section 2.3 of the Supplement and tick off all the check boxes which may be ...

Offshore Technology Conference Severn Trent De Nora, a leading provider of electrolytic seawater disinfection systems, will showcase its line of water and wastewater treatment systems at theOffshore Technology Conference to be held May 2-5, 2011, at Reliant Park in Houston, Texas.The following products will be featured during the conference: The OMNIPURETM Series 55 marine sewage treatment system utilizes a unique electrolytic treatment process combined with electrocoagulation to provide safe and effective treatment of black and gray water.The certified treatment process provides wastewater effluent quality well below MEPC.159(55) requirements while eliminating the need to handle waste solids from raw, untreated influent.Along with a unique solids management system that removes concentrated solids automatically, in situ, the light-weight systems feature a small footprint and are easy to install and maintain. With an individual unit capacity ranging up to 17,280 gal/day (65 m3/day), OMNIPURE 55 systems can be combined for increased capacity.The systems have Bureau Veritas certification and USCG certification to IMO Resolution MEPC.159(55). A scale model of the OMNIPURE Series 55 will be at the booth for technology demonstrations.The SANILEC?electrochlorination system generates hypochlorite from seawater and has demonstrated reliable, economic and low-maintenance operation in installations throughout the world.When injected into the cooling water ...

Wider Caribbean Region Special Area The United States Coast Guard (USCG) announces the date for the entry into effect of discharge requirements from ships in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) special area (SA) as specified in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex V, Regulation 5 and Coast Guard regulations. MARPOL Annex V and the US regulations apply to vessel and reception facility activities in the WCR region.The date of entry for discharge requirements in the WCR SA as 1 May 2011 was adopted via IMO Resolution MEPC.191(60).The discharge restrictions are contained in 33 CFR 151.71 which reads in full as follows:(a) When a ship is located in a special area referenced in 151.53 of this part, no person may discharge garbage from the ship, except as allowed in paragraph (b) or (c) in this section.(b)Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, disposal into the sea of victual waste must be made as far as practicable from land but, in any case, not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land.(c)Disposal into the Wider Caribbean region of victual wastes which have been passed through a comminuter or grinder shall be made as ...

Concept to minimise the amount of oily bilge water in machinery spaces The Integrated Bilge Water Treatment System (IBTS) concept was promoted by Japan and recognised by the IMOthrough its MEPC.1/Circ 642 as an excellent concept to minimise the amount of oily bilge water generated in machinery spaces and with an integrated means to process the oily bilge water and oil residue (sludge).In principle, the IBTS is a concept of an installation containing a bilge primary tank and proper control of the flow of drain streams, aiming to segregate as much as possible oily streams from the drain streams of clean water, and avoid their admixture.Unfortunately, ships which use oily water separator systems based on the IBTS concept have reported negative experiences with port state control officers who are not convinced that ships can generate significantly low oily water volumes.To avoid this, Japan and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) have suggested that ships equipped withinstallations based on the IBTS concept are given a Statement of Fact, which is a check list acknowledging that the installation follows the IBTS as described in MEPC .1/Circ. 642.INTERTANKO and other ship owner organisations supported the promotion of IBTS. INTERTANKO recommended that Governments ...