Tag: PPR

As a meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Pollution Prevention and Response sub-committee (PPR 9) opened on April 4th, NGOs have called for the IMO to develop a mandatory regulation requiring a switch to distillate or alternative cleaner fuels or methods of propulsion for vessels operating in or near Arctic water.

The 8th session of IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 8) took place virtually on 22-26 March 2021. Among others, the meeting approved amendments to the IBC Code, and progressed discussions on the development of a standard for the verification of ballast water compliance monitoring devices.

Several member states and international organisations have proposed that the IMO should reconsider the direction, in which the amendment of MARPOL Annex IV has taken concerning existing ships.

Highlights of the PPR 7 included the finalization of the guidelines for scrubbers, development of a basis for work to determine the impact of scrubber water discharge, draft regulations for prohibiting the use and carriage of HFO as fuel in the Arctic, and revision of guidance on ballast water system commissioning.

IMO 2020 has been in effect since 1 January 2020. From 1 March 2020, the carriage ban on non-compliant fuel oil will enter into force, helping to support implementation of the global sulphur limit. To support the safe and consistent sampling of fuel oil being carried for use, and the enforcement of the carriage ban, IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR), meeting this week (17-21 February), will finalize draft guidelines for the verification of the sulphur content of the fuel oil carried for use on board a ship. 

Finland and Germany submitted a study to the IMO’s Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) sub-committee, in order to be revised during its session scheduled for February. This document presents results of a measurement campaign for the analysis of the impact of fuel oil quality on Black Carbon emissions. The results indicate that new blends of marine fuels with 0.50% sulphur content can contain a large percentage of aromatic compounds, which have a direct impact on Black Carbon emissions.

In light of scrubber malfunction issues that have arose, MEPC 74 committed to investigate the environmental impacts of EGCS liquid effluents by adding a new item on their agenda, called 'Evaluation and harmonization of rules and guidance on the discharge of liquid effluents from EGCS into waters, including conditions and areas', which will be evaluated on the next PPR.

As BIMCO informs, the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) 74 agreed to task its sub-committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) to look into the discharge from open-looped scrubbers, and especially the environmental impact of the washwater. During the meeting, a number of delegations expressed some concerns regarding whether a scrubber system could be a more favourable treatment of ships equipped with a scrubber system.

As IBIA reports, a standard IMO format for reporting non-availability of compliant fuel oil has been developed, as well as guidance for how such reports should be investigated by authorities. However, there is no resolution yet about how to deal with any bunkers that are over the 0.50% sulphur limit, which remain on board a ship when the carriage ban takes effect.

IBIA has been participating, consulting and contributing to IMO's meetings, concerning amendments to MARPOL Annex VI that will ensure consistent implementation of the global 0.50% sulphur cap, developed at the 6th meeting of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 6).