Tag: INTERTANKO

The Documentary Committee met in Edinburgh to approve new documents and clauses

  Josheph J. Angelo, Deputy Managing Director, INTERTANKO presentation during the 2015 GREEN4SEA Forum The presentation addressed the concerns related to both the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention and the US Coast Guard ballast water management regulations.  With regard to the IMO convention, Mr Angelo identified the main issues as the procedures for port state control, the availability of ballast water management equipment to meet the IMO implementation schedule and the guidelines for approval of ballast water management systems.  He informed the seminar about the initiatives INTERTANKO and the shipping industry have taken to address these concerns at IMO and the successful outcome of these initiatives.  With regard to the US Coast Guard requirements, he identified the main shipowner concerns are the lack of a US Coast Guard approved BWM system, the uncertainty as to when there will be a US Coast Guard approved BWM system and the dilemma the shipowner will face if the IMO convention enters into force in the expected near future.   IMO Ballast Water Management Convention adopted in 2004 but has not entered into force yet as it requires 35% of the world’s gross tonnage. Currently, 44 countries have ratified the Convention representing 32,86%. Bahamas, China, Greece, ...

  The Round Table (RT) of International Shipping Organisations (comprising BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping, Intercargo and INTERTANKO) is deeply concerned if the international convention to regulate ships’ ballast water comes into force in the near future without a realistic implementation schedule that recognises the timetable for US type-approved Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) to be available in sufficient quantities. The RT believes that the resulting dilemma would force the international shipping industry to spend millions of dollars on BWMS that may not achieve US type-approval and therefore will need to be replaced in a short period of time. The RT emphasizes that it supports the need for international requirements to protect local ecosystems from the impact of invasive species carried in ships’ ballast water. The RT also firmly believes that shipping is a global industry requiring global regulation.  The Ballast Water Management Convention is developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and is therefore the best instrument to achieve this objective. The RT expects the Convention will be ratified very shortly and enter into force as early as 2016. Shipowners that have not already done so, will be required to spend between US$1M and US$5M to install a ...

Developing standards and guidelines to address the cyber security issues It has been announced that the Round Table of international shipping associations (RT) comprising BIMCO, ICS, Intercargo and INTERTANKO are developing standards and guidelines to address the major cyber security issues faced by the shipping industry.Protection against malicious attacks on computer based systems onboard ships is now hitting the top of the agenda for shipping organisations in all corners of the world. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has already heard calls for action and the insurance industry repeatedly lists the issue as one for concern. The Round Table has made a submission to the IMO on this vital issue outlining the steps taken by the industry to address any vulnerabilities.The vulnerabilities can be numerous and the threats imminent - the question of protection is a complex set of issues and not just about operating a firewall on a ship or installing virus scanning software on the onboard computers. All of the major systems on a modern ship are controlled and monitored by software; these include the main engine, steering and navigation systems, and the ballast water and cargo handling equipment.To address this problem and help the industry to protect itself ...

INTERTANKO has issued a press statement stating its approval for the recently completed European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) Sulphur Inspection Guidance supporting the implementation of Council Directive 1999/32/EC.   EMSA’s guidance aims to support a harmonized approach for the inspection of ships regarding the sulphur content of marine fuels, ascertaining their compliance, identifying non-compliances and applying control procedures for the enforcement of Council Directive 1999/32/EC.   “The guidelines are a result of extensive work under the European Sustainability Shipping Forum (ESSF) aimed to ensure enforcement of the EU Sulphur Directive,” said INTERTANKO Managing Director Katharina Stanzel. “We welcome these guidelines and commend the efforts to harmonize EU Member States’ approaches to ships.”   The EMSA Guidelines suggest that proof of compliance of sulphur content in fuels should be taken both at delivery to the ship and also onboard ships, taking samples of fuels used by the ships. INTERTANKO said it particularly supports the method of sampling at delivery to ship because it is related to the enforcement of the Article 4b.3 of the EU Sulphur Directive which states: "Member States shall ensure that gas oils are not placed on the market in their territory if the sulphur content of these ...

Rising bunker prices due to rising oil prices and volatility in global politics can have a dramatic effect on trade as they fluctuate not just day to day, but also port to port. Bunker fuel costs today form the largest part of owners’ expenses, being anything from 40-60% of the overall operating costs of a ship. The tightening of regulations in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) requiring the use of low sulphur content fuels not only carries with it the risk of fines, detentions and disputes, but further adds to owners’ operating costs. The first ECA in effect was the Baltic in 2006 followed by the North Sea in 2007.A stricter emission allowance down from 1.5 % to 1.0 % was introduced in 2010. The US, Canada and the Caribbean followed suit in 2012 and 2014. MARPOL Annex VI, requiring a maximum sulphur content in fuel oil within ECAs of just 0.10 % by weight (down from 1.0%) comes into force in January 2015. Certain states such as California have already introduced legislation to enforce this. More regulation will certainly follow. From 2015, owners may face escalating fuel costs in the EU, North America and Caribbean and any other ECA designated ...

INTERTANKO issues Ebola clauses

The annual Tripartite meeting between shipowners, shipbuilders and classification societies was held in Shanghai on 30 and 3

Hointly developed guidelines by BIMCO, ICS, INTERTANKO and INTERCARGO The Round Table of international shipping industry associations has released an updated version of Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for Protection Against Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea Region. The Guidelines have been jointly developed by BIMCO, ICS, INTERTANKO and INTERCARGO.Piracy and armed robbery in the waters off West Africa has become an established criminal activity of very serious concern to the maritime sector. Incidents have recently occurred as far south as Angola and as far north as Sierra Leone. These attacks have become increasingly violent, often involving firearms, and cases of kidnapping for ransom have also become more common. The global shipping industry has therefore acted in concert to update its existing Guidelines to take account of what has become a totally unacceptable security situation.Although the nature of the attacks against shipping in West Africa differs from that of Somalia-based piracy, the basic principles of the Best Management Practices, previously developed by the industry to help protect against piracy in the Indian Ocean, are also applicable. The Guidelines should therefore be read in conjunction with BMP4, but seek to tailor this to the specifics of the threat in West ...

INTERTANKO Council Members sign Tanker Industry Voluntary Code of Conduct