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New emission and discharge rules will apply to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden in 2025.
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Mediterranean SOx ECA takes effect May 1, 2025; Red Sea and Gulf of Aden special areas start January 1, 2025.
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The world’s largest ECA will be created in the Northeast Atlantic by 2027.
An Emission Control Area (ECA) is a designated maritime zone where stricter pollution controls are enforced to limit the release of sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter from ships. These areas aim to mitigate the environmental impact of maritime operations and protect sensitive marine ecosystems, according to safety4sea.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Maritime Administration has outlined the upcoming regulatory changes, focusing on air emissions, oil discharges, and garbage disposal rules that ships must follow when operating in these newly designated ECAs.
Mediterranean Sea SOx ECA Requirements
Effective May 1, 2025, the Mediterranean Sea will be classified as an Emission Control Area for sulfur oxides under MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14. From this date, all vessels subject to MARPOL Annex VI and operating within the Mediterranean SOx ECA must comply with the stricter sulfur emission limits. The specific geographical boundaries are defined in the relevant appendices of MARPOL.
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Special Area Requirements
Oil or Oily Mixture Discharge – MARPOL Annex I
From January 1, 2025, vessels of 400 gross tonnage and above will be prohibited from discharging oil or oily mixtures into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Special Areas unless strict conditions are met. These conditions include the ship being en route, the oily mixture being processed through approved oil filtering equipment, the effluent having an oil content not exceeding 15 ppm without dilution, and the discharge not originating from cargo pump room bilges or being mixed with cargo oil residues on oil tankers.
Oil Discharge from Cargo Areas on Tankers
Also effective January 1, 2025, oil tankers will be strictly prohibited from discharging oil or oily mixtures from their cargo areas while operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Special Areas. Only the discharge of clean or segregated ballast will be permitted under these new rules.
Garbage Discharge – MARPOL Annex V
Garbage discharge within the Red Sea Special Area will only be allowed while a vessel is en route and must fully comply with the requirements set out in Regulation 6 of MARPOL Annex V. This change, also effective from January 1, 2025, further tightens pollution control standards for ships transiting the area.
Future Expansion: Northeast Atlantic ECA
In addition to the upcoming changes for 2025, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed to establish a new Emission Control Area covering the Northeast Atlantic. Approved during the 83rd session of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC 83), this ECA will stretch from Portugal and Spain along the British Isles to Iceland and Greenland. Expected to come into force in 2027, it will become the largest ECA in the world, underscoring the industry’s intensified focus on environmental protection.
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Source: safety4sea
