The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) entered into force on September 8, 2017. Adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2004, the measure for environmental protection that aims to stop the spread of poten
The next few years will see some significant changes in emission regulations for shipowners. These include the rules concerning sulphur oxides (SOx) in the form of the 2020 global sulphur cap and nitrogen oxides (NOx) with the establishment of Nitrogen Emission Control Areas (NECAs) in 2021. Coverin
The global refining and shipping industries will be hit by the new low-sulfur requirements for marine bunker fuels, set to enter into force five years earlier than many expected. According to a new analysis from IHS Markit, the two industries are set to experience rapid change and significant cost a
The Port of Long Beach (POLB) informed it notched clean air records in its latest study of air pollution emissions, including an 88 percent reduction in diesel particulate matter, continuing more than a decade of air quality improvements. The inventory, conducted by an independent consultant, found
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has issued the USCG Type Approval Certificate to Ecochlor, a Boston-based manufacturer of ballast water treatment systems (BWTS). The fifth USCG certificate was issued after a detailed review of the manufacturer’s type approval application determined the system m
The International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) tentative step towards a plan to cut shipping’s climate emissions represents only ‘modest’ progress, Transport & Environment cited the Marshall Islands’ transport minister Mike Halferty. Earlier this month, countries meeting at the IMO’s environment co
The first ship featuring International Maritime Organisation’s Tier III EIAPP (Engine International Air Pollution Prevention) certified Wärtsilä diesel engines was launched on July 12. The 72-metre polar logistics vessel L’Astrolabe is fitted with a complete Wärtsilä propulsion machinery package and
An amended implementation scheme for ships to comply with the D-2 biological standard under the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) was tentatively accepted at the 71st session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 71). The MEPC delayed the implementation schedule for exist
The implementation of the 0.5 percent sulfur limit for fuel used by ships from 2020 may not be robustly enforced, it was pointed out in a paper submitted by China, India and Russia to the 71st session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 71). Some 96% of the world fleet has flags of
Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has hired a compatriot startup company Explicit to monitor ships’ sulfur emissions using a special “sniffer technology”. The monitoring, starting early July will be conducted from the air by sampling exhaust plumes from vessels in waters around Denmark, t
The implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) has been a hot topic these days, especially since there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding the issue such as applicability dates, and installation costs, to name a few. Following the BWM Convention’s entry into force on Septemb
Thailand has become the latest state to accede to the international conventions on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC) and the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage (Fund). The CLC Convention ensures that compensation is available to people who s
Retrofitting a Ballast Water Treatment System onto a bulk carrier that uses gravity discharge for the top side tanks would need to overcome major technical challenges, according to the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo). As the changes require substantial modifications to
Four major international trade associations have made a joint proposal to the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) concerning ambitious CO2 reductions by the international shipping sector. In a detailed submission, BIMCO, INTERCARGO, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and INTERTANKO pro
