- May 16, 2018
- 2018
- Comments : 0
Designation of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea Emission Control Areas for NOx Tier III control
16 May 2018 | C18018
The Baltic and the North Sea have been designated as Emission Control Areas for NOX Tier III control
NOTICE TO
Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators | Surveyors/Auditors
The amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 13, adopted through MEPC.286(71), reference the designation of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea Emission Control Areas for NOx Tier III control.
The NOx Tier III emission control areas are:
- the North American Emission Control Area,
- the United States Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area,
- the Baltic Sea Emission Control Area as defined in regulation 1.11.2 of MARPOL Annex I, and
- the North Sea Emission Control Area as defined in regulation 1.14.6 of MARPOL Annex V.
The Amendments to Regulation 13.5 of MARPOL Annex VI temporarily exempt ships equipped with dual fuel engines or Tier II NOx compliant engines from compliance with the NOx Tier III emission limits, when they navigate immediately following building in a NOx Emission Control Area or are repaired or maintained at the shipyard located inside NOx Emission Control Area.
The exemption applies only for the following period:
- for a newly constructed ship, the period beginning at the time the ship is delivered from the shipyard, including sea trials, and ending at the time the ship directly exits the NOX Tier III emission control area(s) or, with regard to a ship fitted with a dual fuel engine, the ship directly exits the NOX Tier III emission control area(s) or proceeds directly to the nearest gas fuel bunkering facility appropriate to the ship located in the NOX Tier III emission control area(s);
- for a ship with a Tier II engine undergoing conversion, maintenance or repair, the period beginning at the time the ship enters the NOX Tier III emission control area(s) and proceeds directly to the shipyard or other repair facility, and ending at the time the ship is released from the shipyard or other repair facility and directly exits the NOX Tier III emission control area (s) after performing sea trials, if applicable; or
- for a ship with a dual fuel engine undergoing conversion, maintenance or repair, when the ship is required to not have gas fuel or gas cargo on board due to safety requirements, the period beginning at the time the ship enters the NOX Tier III emission control area(s) or when it is degassed in the NOX Tier III emission control area(s) and proceeds directly to the shipyard or other repair facility, and ending at the time when the ship is released from the shipyard or other repair facility and directly exits the NOX Tier III emission control area(s) or proceeds directly to the nearest gas fuel bunkering facility appropriate to the ship located in the NOX Tier III emission control area(s).
The full amendments of MEPC.286(71) can be found here.
Act now
Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators are reminded that vessels constructed on or after 1 January 2021 must comply with these amendments if they are to visit the Baltic or the North Sea.
The implementation of an exemption for ships not intended for service within North American ECA should be taken into consideration to be able to enter and depart the Emission Control Area with an IMO Tier II compliant engine.
