Tag: MARPOL Annex VI

Filter By:

Alfa Laval : Fuel handling in ECAs from next year

Alfa Laval has issued a paper regarding fuel handling in ECAs after 1st January 2015. The first part deals with overall issues suchas equipment preparation and fuel storage, while the second part deals with the specific challenges of common LS fuels and emerging alternatives. The game-changing legislation taking effect 1st January 2015 will reduce the allowed sulphur content for fuel burned in marine engines from 1.00% to 0.10% in Emission Control Areas (ECAs). Understandably, many ship owners and operators have questions about the huge impact this will have on their vessel’s fuel handling. Vessels can comply with the legislation either by installing a scrubber and continuing with HFO, or by using low-sulphur (LS) fuel when operating in ECAs. For those that choose the latter, it will have a major effect on the vessel’s fuel handling. Among other things, it will necessitate both the conversion of fuel tanks and the addition of fuel cooling equipment to secure the viscosity of the engine’s fuel supply. In Alfa Laval's paper, it is explored the operational implications of the ECA fuel change. The first part deals with overall issues such as equipment preparation and fuel storage, while the second part deals with the specific challenges ...

Read more

DNV GL issues Sulphur Limits 2015 Guidelines

Stricter limitations on sulphur emissions (SOx) will pose many challenges to ships operating in Emission Control Areas (ECAs). If not handled with care, switching from Heavy Fuel Oil to Marine Gas Oil can put equipment at risk and increase operational costs. DNV GL issued “Sulphur Limits 2015 – Guidelines to ensure Compliance” to provide a general overview the regulatory background, describe potential difficulties associated with the fuel change-over procedure and discuss which technologies can best help vessels fulfil the new requirements. Furthermore, DNV GL has developed a ship-specific Fuel Change-Over Calculator (FCO) to help shipowners and operators determine the ideal parameters for their vessel’s fuel change-over. Ships operating in an ECA will have to use fuel that does not contain more than 0.10% sulphur (MARPOL Annex VI) from 1st January onwards. Switching to Marine Gas Oil (MGO) is currently the most viable option for following the new threshold limit. This may appear to be a simple task, but the change-over procedure actually requires significant attention from crews during operation as well as extensive on-board preparations before the entry into force date. “Taking into account variables such as a vessel’s fuel system layout, any constraints on temperature and the variable sulphur content of ...

Read more

Pacific regional gathering to reduce international shipping emissions

Ιn the Pacific region a regional gathering is taking place to discuss air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. Participants at the special workshop are discussing Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, known as MARPOL. This Annex deals specifically with regulations for the prevention of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from ships. The workshop is being hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and is being supported using funds kindly donated to the IMO by the Government of Canada through Transport Canada. At the opening of the workshop Dr David Haynes, SPREP's Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control explained that international shipping is the most energy efficient mode of mass cargo transport. "Seeing as the demand for sea transportation will continue to grow with increased world trade, it's important that a global approach is taken to further improve its energy efficiency and limit emissions to minimise the impacts on human health and the environment." There are currently eight Pacific island countries that are Party to MARPOL Annex VI, however, after ...

Read more

Skuld advice on North American ECA Zones and Compliance

On 1 January 2015 North America will implement a switch from the use of 1% sulphur content fuel to 0.10% sulphur content fuel, pursuant to MARPOL Annex VI regulations.  The Skuld P&I Club has a dedicated loss prevention section for resources on air emissions regulations and compliance.  There is now very little time left before the upcoming new regulations under MARPOL Annex VI enter in to force on 1 January 2015. Therefore, the Club strongly advises operators who have no immediate plans to trade to or from an ECA, to familiarize themselves with the new regulations and ensure they are able to comply with them. Vessels on worldwide trading may get new voyage orders that will see them go to an ECA and a shipowner that did not have business in an ECA zone before may suddenly see a lucrative opportunity appear. In such cases it will pay a great dividend to have prepared in advance. As for regulatory compliance with US laws, the Association can only urge operators to seek to be always in strict compliance. Large fines, other penalties and even prison terms have resulted not infrequently from violating US laws, in particular those relating to MARPOL offences. There is no ...

Read more

Supplier’s declaration on BDN to be amended

According to IMarEST (Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology), the text of the supplier’s declaration required on the bunker delivery note (BDN) under MARPOL Annex VI is likely to be amended. A proposal to was put to the 67th meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 67) this week to add text to the BDN to reflect situations where the buyer would be using abatement technology, or scrubbers, to meet sulphur emission regulations. The last paragraph of appendix V of MARPOL Annex VI requires that the BDN should have "A declaration signed and certified by the fuel oil supplier's representative that the fuel oil supplied is in conformity with the applicable paragraph of regulation 14.1 or 14.4 and regulation 18.3 of this Annex." A submission from a large number of countries and the European Commissions said that in order to allow for situations where technology, rather than fuel, would be used to meet sulphur limits, new text should be added. The proposed addition reads: "If the receiver of the fuel oil identifies that the fuel oil is intended to be used in combination with an approved equivalent means of compliance in accordance with regulation ...

Read more

Paris MoU issues guidelines on application of MARPOL in ECA

Paris MoU issued guidelines to provide advice on the implementation of Reg 18 of Chapter III of Annex VI of MARPOL – Fuel Oil Availability. Reg 18 provides for situations where compliant fuel cannot be bunkered, provided the owner has taken reasonable steps to do so and therefore does not need to deviate from the intended route or unduly delay the voyage to achieve compliance. It is possible that, from 01/01/2015 when the requirement to burn fuel oil with a sulphur content of not more than 0.10% m/m SOx content fuel in an ECA comes into force, shipowners may invoke Reg 18 and claim it was not possible to bunker the correct fuel before entering the ECA. Guidance During the Initial Inspection within an ECA or first port after transiting an ECA the PSCO will look at: 1. Bunker delivery note showing a sulphur content of not more than 0.10% m/m for fuel oil used onboard (MARPOL Annex VI Reg 18 (5))  2. The representative sample of fuel oil with a sulphur content of not more than 0.10% m/m (MARPOL Annex VI Reg 18 (8.1)) 3. Evidence of a written procedure (Note: there is no requirement for this to be in English) ...

Read more

Air Pollution Developments in MEPC 67

The IMO Committee on Protection of the Marine Environment (MEPC) held its 67th Session from Monday 13 through Friday 17 October 2014 in IMO Headquarters in London. Among the many issues discussed by the Committee, developments on the air pollution were on the agenda. IMO MEPC 67 concluded the following: Air Pollution from ships Impact on the Arctic of emissions of Black Carbon from International shipping It was felt premature for the Committee to single out a particular contender for  an agreed definition of Black Carbon thus the matter will be sent back to PPR at its second (next) session with a view to them making a clear and definitive recommendation. Fuel Oil Quality The Committee noted the outcome of MSC 93’s consideration of fuel oil quality and its possible impact on crew health, ship safety and environmental protection.  Proposals were invited to MSC94, for consideration in conjunction with the outcome of MEPC 67, urging Member Governments, in the meantime, to strengthen their oversight capacity of bunker fuel suppliers.   In the ensuing discussion, the majority of Member States expressed a view supporting the development of non-mandatory guidance whilst a significant minority of Member States supported mandatory measures.  (Of note, had the NGO vote ...

Read more

ClassNK develops updated design support tool for EEDI verification

PrimeShip software latest version is now able to calculate the added resistance in irregular waves ClassNK has released the latest version of its PrimeShip-GREEN/MinPower software. The software was originally developed by ClassNK and released in April 2014 to help shipyards comply with amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, specifically EEDI requirements, by calculating minimum propulsion power requirements in compliance with the IMO 2013 INTERIM GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING MINIMUM PROPULSION POWER TO MAINTAIN THE MANOEUVRABILITY OF SHIPS IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS. With this updated software, users will now be able to calculate the added resistance in irregular waves, allowing for minimum propulsion power requirements to be determined to an even greater accuracy.To evaluate the minimum propulsion power requirement, added resistance in irregular waves must be calculated with ship's lines. ClassNK incorporated a new calculation module into the software to calculate the added resistance in irregular waves accurately developed by National Maritime Research Institute of Japan in addition to simplified formula for calculating added resistance in waves using only basic information.The PrimeShip-GREEN/MinPower software is provided to shipyards free of charge.Further information may be found on ClassNK websiteSource and Image Credit: ClassNK

Read more
Page 13 of 15 1 12 13 14 15