Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI to prohibit not just the use, but also carriage of bunkers above 0.50% sulphur, have been agreed this week, taking into account a request from IBIA and IPIECA to slightly modify the regulator, reports IBIA.
Prevent ferrying of HFSO
The measure aims to monitor that it doesn’t unintentionally prevent bunker barges from carrying high sulphur bunker fuel for delivery to ships with scrubbers.
The carriage ban was initially discussed in plenary at the 72nd session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 72) on Tuesday, using amended regulatory text developed by the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 5) in February.
However, the key issue is whether to go ahead with the amendment, which, if formally adopted at MEPC 73 in October this year, means a carriage ban can take effect as early as 1 March, 2020.
To early to implement
A number of countries argued for deferring the carriage ban until a later date due to uncertainty about the availability of compliant fuels in 2020, and concerns about the safety of the fuels on offer.
But, they were advocating for a phase of experience-building, not just before the prohibiting the use of fuels above 0.50% sulphur, instead they also recommend it after the carriage of such fuels on ships without approved equivalent arrangements for feulling scrubbers.
Need to curb HFSO usage
A majority of IMO member states, however, see the carriage ban as a crucial instrument in enabling more effective enforcement of the 2020 sulphur limit and hence reduce the risk, when operators will be tempted to cheat and gain a competitive advantage.
The other issue up for discussion was the clarity of the amended text for Regulation 14, which was developed at PPR 5: “The sulphur content of any fuel oil used or carried for use on board ships shall not exceed 0.50% m/m.”
Besides, some argued, the regulation will be clearly understood by the authorities responsible for enforcing it. The ship’s IAPP certificate will clearly state whether the ship has an approved equivalent arrangement.
Bunker bans
IBIA co-sponsored a submission to MEPC 72 with IPIECA, suggesting a small modification to prevent unintended consequences, because this could prevent the bunker barges to carry “fuel oil for use on ships” with above 0.50% sulphur content.
There were also concerns to include a reference in this part of the MARPOL regulation to show a clear link to the regulation 4.1 of MARPOL Annex VI on equivalent means, and make it crystal clear that the carriage ban does not apply to ships equipped with an approved abatement technology such as scrubbers.
Although there was some support for this, it was deemed unnecessary and might open doors to add a cross-reference to regulation 4.1 throughout other parts of the MARPOL Annex VI regulation.
New Amendments
One member state, however, reserved its position on this and may propose an editorial amendment to MEPC 73 to make the exemption from the carriage ban for ships with scrubbers more explicit.
Apart from the amendment of Regulation 14 to prevent not just the use, but also the carriage of fuel oil above 0.50% sulphur, the amended text is shortened significantly since the previous mentions of sulphur limits in emission control areas (ECAs) and outside ECAs will be redundant from the start of 2020.
The new regulatory text only specifies the 0.50% limit under Regulation 14.1, and the 0.10% applicable in ECAs under Regulation 14.4, which has also been slightly amended to read: “While a ship is operating within an emission control area, the sulphur content of fuel oil used on board that ship shall not exceed 0.10% m/m.”
After being formally approved at MEPC 72 this Friday, the amendments to MARPOL Annex VI are expected to be formally adopted at MEPC 73 and enter into force on 1 March, 2020.
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Source: IBIA
If HSFO is not allowed to be supplied even in scrubber Iinstalled ships, many refineries May have to be shut down as they have no means of getting rid of the residual fuel for continue producing essential distillate like petrol aviation fuel,marine diesel fuel etc. That could drive a possible hike of cost for distillates