Tag: IMO MEPC

  ABS welcomed IMO's formal adoption of the remaining parts of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code). According to ABS Shared Technology Director James Bond, an active participant on the IMO group tasked with establishing new requirements, the Polar Code is essential for industry. "The formal adoption of the Polar Code is a powerful step forward toward safe and sustainable Polar activities," he says, noting that this milestone is the result of more than two decades of work led by the IMO to promote safety and reduce maritime environmental pollution in Arctic and Antarctic waters. The Polar Code, formally adopted on 15 May 2015 at the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in London, covers a broad spectrum of design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection measures. It is the first mandatory IMO instrument to formally introduce the notion of ice classes and sets a new precedent for the certification and approval of onboard equipment and safety systems exposed to low air temperatures and ice accretion. Entry-into-force is set for 1 January 2017. The Polar Code will require ships operating in Polar waters to have a Polar Ship Certificate that states operational ...

  Twelve environmental non-governmental organizations, led by Clean Shipping Coalition have sent a letter to EU Climate Ministers  to express concerns regarding the failure of the international community to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. Environmentalists claim that IMO missed a historic chance to properly address emissions from international shipping during its 68th session of Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) held in mid-May. At that session, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) introduced a proposal and a call for the adoption of a reduction target for GHG emissions from international shipping. This proposal represented a loud wake-up call to the international community but it only took the IMO 90 minutes to reject the matter, despite evidence that failure to cap a fast growing source of emissions such as international shipping will endanger the 2 degree target, the letter states. According to the letter: ” This failure is all the more remarkable given that the EU is on record at the UNFCCC calling for the IMO to establish a target consistent with the 2 degree objective. The RMI, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and the Solomons all took the risk to come to London and reclaim their IMO seats ...

  IMO MEPC will meet for its 68th session next week, from 11 to 15 May 2015, at IMO Headquarters in London.  The hot issue on the agenda will be the adoption of the draft environmental provisions of the Polar Code which will make the Code mandatory. The adoption of the Polar Code and associated MARPOL amendments at MEPC 68 will complete the process to make the Code mandatory under both the SOLAS and MARPOL treaties.   Other items under discussion at the forthcoming meeting will be as follows: MARPOL Annex I amendments relating to oil residues set for adoption  The MEPC will consider, with a view to adoption, draft amendments to regulation 12 of MARPOL Annex I, concerning tanks for oil residues (sludge).  The draft amendments update and revise the regulation, expanding on the requirements for discharge connections and piping to ensure oil residues are properly disposed of.  A related revised unified interpretation to the regulation will also be put forward for adoption.   Ballast water management status and technologies to be reviewed The MEPC will review the status of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention), 2004, which is ...

  Shipping users will for the first time be granted access to transparent data that identifies the most efficient ships and practices, under a law approved by the European Parliament in full. The public disclosure of fuel efficiency data will enhance competition for the best ships and routes, which in turn will trigger market forces that will result in fuel savings. Sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E) said the measure is a stepping stone to CO2 targets that will start delivering much-needed cuts to shipping’s ever-growing emissions. The Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) regulation will require ship operators to publicly report information on the environmental performance of ships. Cargo owners and ship operators have been crying out for efficiency data – some already adhere to a similar yet voluntary ‘Clean Shipping Index’ – as the more cargo a ship can carry using the same amount of fuel, the more efficient, cleaner and cheaper the service. But fuel efficiency improvements will be offset by the increase in transport demand. In its latest greenhouse gas (GHG) study the UN’s shipping body, the IMO, projects a 50 to 250% rise in shipping emissions by 2050. Sotiris Raptis, clean shipping officer at T&E, ...

  Following yesterday’s vote in the European Parliament, adopting a regional EU Regulation on the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of individual ship emissions of CO2, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO and Intercargo have issued the following statement: ‘’Today’s vote was expected, being based on the political agreement reached between the EU institutions at the end of last year. However, the shipping industry is still disappointed by the Parliament’s confirmation of the EU decision to pre-empt the current International Maritime Organization (IMO) negotiations on a global data collection system on shipping’s CO2 emissions by adopting a unilateral, regional Regulation on the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of individual ship emissions – which will also apply to non-EU flag ships trading to Europe – in advance of IMO completing its work. Until now, with the industry’s support, the IMO negotiations have been progressing well. But there is a danger that the EU initiative will be seen by non-EU nations as an attempt to present them with a fait accompli. The EU Regulation includes controversial elements, such as the publication of commercially sensitive data on individual ships, an idea which had previously been rejected by the majority of IMO governments during ...

  New ships built in 2013 were on average 10% less fuel efficient than those built in 1990, according to a new study commissioned by Seas At Risk and Transport and Environment. The study shows that container ships built 30 years ago already, on average, beat the so-called ‘Energy Efficiency Design Index’ standard that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has set for new ships built in 2020. The standard is up for review next month. This first ever study of the historical development of the design efficiency of new ships, commissioned by Seas At Risk and Transport & Environment, finds that bulk carriers, tankers, and container ships built in 2013 were on average 12, 8 and 8% less fuel efficient than those built in 1990, a quarter of a century ago. The findings contradict claims that shipping has been constantly improving its environmental performance. They also demonstrate that market forces by themselves don’t result in more fuel efficient ships being built. Oil prices in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the time when new ships were historically most fuel efficient, were around a quarter of the levels seen in the 2008-2013 period (ca $25 vs $100 per barrel, in today’s ...

Cyprus has nominated Mr. Andreas Chrysostomou for the position of Secretary General at the IMO

  The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) issued a circular containing the resolutions adopted by the recent session of the IMO Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC67). The circular informs the Shipping Community on the outcome, including the resolutions adopted/approved by the 67th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 67) of IMO, and urges the Community to prepare for the implementation of these resolutions. The mandatory resolution includes the following: Resolution MEPC.256(67) – Amendments to Annex I of MARPOL 73/78; This resolution amends Regulation 43 of MARPOL Annex I to prohibit the use of heavy grade oil as ballast on ships when operating in the Antarctic area with the exception to ships engaged in securing the safety of ships or in a search and rescue operation. The amendments to MARPOL Annex I will enter into force on 1 March 2016, and will be given effect through amendments to the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea (Oil) Regulations Resolution MEPC.257(67) – Amendments to Annex III of MARPOL 73/78; This resolution amends MARPOL Annex III in order to exclude the radioactive (class 7) material from Marine Pollutants/Environmentally Hazardous Substances. The amendments to MARPOL Annex III will enter into force on ...

  All stakeholders involved in the testing, approval, fitting and operation of ballast water management systems (BWMS) are being invited to complete online surveys, as a part of an International Maritime Organization (IMO) study to assess the implementation of the BWMS approval guidelines and the performance of type-approved systems.   The study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the technical standards and approval testing procedures in the Guidelines for approval of ballast water management systems (G8), initiated by IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) at its 67th session in October 2014. The intention is to address concerns that the testing regime for approval of BWMS needs to be sufficiently robust and consistent, so that approved systems will meet the standards set out in the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention).  The surveys can be accessed at sites.google.com/a/wmu.se/d2study/​ and will remain open until 1 June 2015. The following are invited to participate: Administrations and associated agencies; test facilities, organizations and independent experts; BWMS developers, manufacturers and vendors; classification societies; ship owners and operators; flag State and port State control inspectors; and other relevant experts, consultants or organizations.  The study is ...

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has issued Marine Safety Advisory regarding the carriage of cooking oil as cargo. Issues connected with the carriage of used cooking oil – traditionally utilized after processing as a feedstock in the production of biodiesel- were highlighted at the second meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Pollution Prevention and Response Sub-Committee (PPR 2), which took place in January 2015. With respect to the carriage requirements, PPR 2 agreed to establish, subject to endorsement by the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC), a generic entry for used cooking oil in list 1 of the MEPC.2/Circular, with validity for all countries and without an expiry date. See list 1 reproduced below. It is the understanding of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator that some countries are already utilizing list 1 and issuing fines for noncompliance when carrying out documentary checks, although the list has not yet been endorsed by the MEPC (the parent committee of PPR). Endorsement by the MEPC 68 is expected, however, at its upcoming meeting, 11-15 May 2015. Ship operators, therefore, should pay careful attention to the consistency of terminology used by shippers on documentation. The shipping name of ...