(LONDON) — At the 83rd session of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83), the panel approved a proposal to designate the northeast Atlantic Ocean as an Emission Control Area (ECA) for nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), amending MARPOL Annex VI Regulations 13 and 14 accordingly.
The northeast Atlantic Ocean ECA encompasses the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and territorial seas, extending up to 200 nautical miles from the baselines of Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Ireland and the mainland of the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal. The designation excludes sea areas bounded by any of the existing ECAs, as well as the EEZ maritime areas adjacent to Madeira, the Azores and Canary archipelagos.
The geographic outer boundaries of the northeast Atlantic Ocean ECA are comprehensively described in IMO Circular Letter No. 5005. The Clean Arctic Alliance has also issued a series of infographics that provide a useful overview of existing and upcoming ECAs designated under MARPOL Annex VI.
The proposal is scheduled for final adoption at the MEPC session in October. The amended MARPOL Annex VI is expected to enter into force in 2027, at least 16 months after its adoption, with the 0.10 percent sulfur limit taking effect 12 months later.
The requirement for NOx Tier III engine certification is expected to apply to ships contracted on or after Jan. 1. 2027, or in the absence of a building contract, keel-laid on or after July 1, 2027 or delivered on or after Jan. 31, 2031. These dates may change upon the formal adoption of the amendments.
Recommendations
Ship operators should take note of the above and make sure their bunkering procurement and onboard operating procedures comply with MARPOL requirements in force at any given time. Now that most European and North American waters will be part of an ECA, it is important to verify that enough fuel with the appropriate sulfur content is available and that proper fuel changeover procedures are in place and implemented before entering an ECA.
Fine particulate matter (PM) is a particular health risks due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Since removing sulfur from fuel can help reduce PM emissions, many regions, states and ports around the world have implemented their own strict sulfur emission limits. A roundup of some of these places is included in Gard’s article “Regional Sulfur Emission Limits at a Glance.”
Ship operators must therefore ensure that crewmembers are familiar with the sulfur emission limits in force, not only in the MARPOL designated ECAs, but in all jurisdictions in which they trade. Crews should also be provided with clear procedures and guidance to this effect. As new local regulations or changes to existing legislation can be implemented with very little notice, and the regulatory enforcement strategy may differ from one region/port to another, ships’ masters should always seek advice from their agents on local requirements well in advance of the ship’s intended port call.
The Mediterranean Sea ECA for SOx and PM takes effect on May 1. It includes all waters bounded by the coasts of Europe, Africa and Asia, and is described in detail in IMO Resolution MEPC.361(79).
– Gard
