MFAME reported about the “Fuel Consumption Reporting Rule” mandated by the IMO, yesterday. While the shipping world is busy tackling the global slowdown with dry bulk shipping and carbon footprint, here is a new stunner from the IMO, but this time, it is on the Sewage discharge. This mandate is an outcome of the recently held MEPC meeting.
A major milestone reached through HELCOM cooperation:
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed this week that the Baltic Sea special area for sewage discharges from passenger ships under Annex IV or the MARPOL Convention will take effect by latest 2021 for IMO registered passenger vessels. However, in certain cases of direct passages between St. Petersburg area and the North Sea there is a two-year extension to the deadline, until 2023.
Newbuild passenger ships with keels laid after June 1, 2019 will not be permitted to discharge sewage waste within the Baltic Sea Special Area – by this, the Baltic sea will be the first sea region in the world with an overall sewage discharge ban.
The provision will go into effect for existing passenger vessels on June 1, 2021 – except for those vessels headed for Russian ports and for vessels departing the area without other port calls, which will have until June 1, 2023.
If a passenger vessel has an approved sewage treatment plant, meeting all IMO standards, it may discharge its effluent in the Baltic, after treatment.
Source: HELCOM
