- California Expands Emissions Control at Ports to Meet Environmental Goals.
- From 2025, CARB to Enforce Stricter Rules on Vessel Emissions at Terminals.
- CARB’s At-Berth Regulation to Include More Vessel Types by January 2025.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will make a further expansion of its at-berth emissions control regulations on ocean-going vessels, effective on January 1, 2025. The increase in requirements is based on a currently existing requirement and increases requirements for additional vessel types and at more terminals. From this date, roll-on roll-off, or RoRo, vessel calls at all regulated terminals and tanker vessels at all regulated terminals within the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are required to meet emissions controls, reports Brittania.
Regulated and Unregulated Terminals
CARB defines regulated terminals as those visited more than 20 times per year by each vessel type. Those terminals that have less than 20 visits annually are considered unregulated and are thus exempt from the emissions control requirements. However, if an unregulated terminal has two consecutive years of more than 20 visits annually by a certain vessel type, it becomes a regulated terminal for that specific vessel type in the following year.
Emissions Control Compliance Guidelines
Ships calling at regulated terminals should communicate and coordinate with the terminal at least seven days in advance of arrival. This should be a written communication that states how the vessel will achieve the emissions control measures necessary for entry.
Accepted compliance options are a connection to an OPS, or the use of a CARB-Approved Emission Control Strategy, or CAECS. Controls must be on two hours after a declaration that the vessel is “Ready to Work” and must remain connected until one hour before an outbound pilot boarding. Ships operating under CAECS requirements are subject to CARB’s 2020 regulation requirements unless connecting to OPS for the reduction of emissions from the auxiliary engines.
Exceptions to Compliance
Under certain conditions, there are several exceptions to compliance with the emissions control. The following exemptions are provided for in this regard. Safety and emergency events include extreme weather and scenarios where compliance would place the vessel, crew, or cargo at risk. Vessels that make their first visit to a terminal may consider the first visit as a commissioning visit if they make a connection to shore power.
Research visits are allowed for testing and approval of CAECS with an approved test plan. In cases where compliance is not feasible, VIEs may also be declared. Companies are permitted a limited number of VIEs based on 5% of the previous year’s vessel visits to a terminal. Terminals operate based on a scheme called Terminal Incident Events, TIEs, particular to each terminal, valid only for a calendar year, and subject to issuance.
A remediation payment can be made, as an alternative to compliance, should equipment failure not allow so.
Future Developments
Beginning January 1, 2027, emissions control compliance will apply to all regulated tanker terminal visits extending the scope of CARB’s regulations into this area.
For the CARB at-berth emissions regulation that has been in existence for several years, many regular traders operating vessels in the region already are conversant with the compliance requirements. Yet, new ship types that had not previously been considered would be added to this regimen for the first time. To achieve seamless operations under this newly revised framework, therefore, vessel operators, owners, terminal operators, and others in the same category should carefully review the updated reporting requirements and compliance strategies.
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Source: Brittania
