BIMCO’s Maritime Technology and Regulation department will attend the 71st session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 70), which will be held from 3 to 7 July 2017 in London.
The agenda for MEPC 71 is comprehensive and the following central items should be highlighted:
At this session, MEPC will be asked to adopt the following amendments to MARPOL:
If adopted by MEPC 70, the amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 January 2019.
The NOX tier III amendments will come into effect on ships which are constructed on or after 1 January 2021 and are operating in the two areas.
BIMCO has co-sponsored 5 submissions:
To support the development of the IMO's GHG strategy, the co-sponsors (BIMCO, IPTA and WSC) propose:
1) a set of ambitious objectives to be included in the GHG strategy
2) establishment of a maritime research and development programme to develop new technologies to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the sector (both in the long term and in the near term)
3) an investment programme designed to stimulate energy efficiency improvements across the existing fleet.
Ballast water management (BWM)
MEPC 71 will discuss and possibly approve the draft amendments to regulation B-3 of the BWM Convention in order to be ready before the convention enters into force on 8 September 2017. The main subjects are:
MEPC will also consider guidance on the application of the BWM to ships operating solely in sea areas where ballast water exchange is not possible (according to BWM, regulation B-4.1). MEPC will also consider amendments to the guidelines for risk assessments performed by port state under regulation A-4 (G7) to better clarify the relationship between the guidelines and the same risk area concept.
Another issue to be discussed is the guidance on the BWM convention’s measures related to contingency planning for ballast water management in ports, ballast water exchange using water treated by various BWM systems, as well as contingency measures related to reception facilities.
Alternative approval of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI)
MEPC 71 will consider a proposal to develop guidelines on how to use the equivalent method in regulation 4 of MARPOL Annex VI to comply with the EEDI requirements.
The draft guidelines will be on how to use regulation 4 for an equivalent approval of the energy efficiency requirement. Today, an administration can approve a ship's energy efficiency in accordance with the equivalent method based on the ship's total energy efficiency. This shall be done by documenting that the actual, modern, new-built ship is at least as effective in terms of emission reductions – energy efficient – as a ship fulfilling the EEDI requirement. This could, for example, be done by showing that an actual phase 2 ship has a 20% less CO2 emission than a similar ship fulfilling the phase 0 standard.
Review of the existing Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) regulations
MEPC 71 will further consider the review of the EEDI. According to MARPOL Annex VI, Reg 21.6, IMO shall review the status of technological developments at the beginning of phase 1 and at the midpoint of phase 2. The latter will start in 2023. If proven necessary, the parameters for relevant ship types and reduction rates set out in this regulation should be reviewed.
A number of issues will be considered under this heading:
IMO data collection system
MEPC 71 will discuss the correspondence group’s draft text for administration of data verification procedures. MEPC will also further develop draft guidance for the management of the new database related to the IMO ship fuel oil consumption. This work also covers proposals for new MEPC circular(s) to address and clarify how to deal with ships, which are not party to MARPOL Annex VI.
A brief report on the outcome of the meeting will be published shortly after the meeting.
Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) publish regular Bunker Alerts based entirely on fuel samples and have kindly permitted BIMCO’s Members to access this information.
The Bunker Alerts are not intended to be an evaluation of overall bunker quality in the port or area concerned, but usually highlight a specific parameter within the fuel which has raised a quality issue.
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