Many friends have reported that a lack of understanding of the latest global emission control areas and the latest emission policies easily leads to vessels being fined or detained by local PSCOs. In this issue, we have endeavored to collect and compile the latest information on the scope and emission requirements of emission control areas around the world and present it to you all.
I
1
What are ship emission control areas for?
The main purpose of establishing ship emission control areas is to improve the ambient air quality in coastal and riverine areas, especially port cities, by controlling emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from ships navigating, berthing and operating within the emission control areas, and to promote ship energy conservation, emission reduction and green shipping development.
II
Why control air pollutants from ship emissions?
Relevant studies show that air pollutants from ship emissions mainly come from exhaust gases generated by ship power systems, volatilization of transported cargo, onboard incineration, etc. The air pollutants generated are mainly sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and also contain a certain amount of inhalable particulate matter (PM10), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other air pollutants, as well as greenhouse gases mainly consisting of carbon dioxide (CO2). At present, domestic and international research on the prevention and control of ship air pollution mainly focuses on SO2, NOx and PM. Among them, SO2 is converted from sulfur in ship fuel, so SO2 emissions are directly related to factors such as fuel type, fuel quality and consumption; NOx is mainly produced by the oxidation of nitrogen in the air during rapid combustion and high-pressure processes, and its emissions are closely related to the engine and its operating conditions; particulate pollutants such as PM10 and PM2.5 include primary particulate matter such as directly emitted black carbon and heavy metals, as well as secondary particulate matter such as sulfates, nitrates and secondary organic matter formed through chemical reactions, and SOx and NOx can all be converted into particulate matter. Controlling the sulfur content of ship fuel is an effective means of reducing sulfur oxide and particulate matter emissions during ship engine operation, and is also the main control method currently adopted domestically and internationally for ship air pollution.
III
What ship emission control areas are there?
After extensive research, the editor has found that there are currently 6 internationally recognized emission control areas, and in addition, China, South Korea, Norway, Iceland, Turkey and other countries have all issued corresponding emission control areas and emission standards. The 6 most important ones include:
Established with the approval of the International Maritime Organization:
Baltic Sea area
North Sea area
North American area
Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area
Established with the approval of the European Union:
European Sea Emission Control Area
Established with the approval of the United States:
California Emission Control Area of the United States
All six of the above areas require the use of fuel with a sulfur content below 0.1%.
For the specific scope and emission requirements of each control area, please see the detailed explanation below.
1
Baltic Sea Emission Control Area
The Baltic Sea area is a sulfur oxide emission control area established with the approval of the IMO and officially entered into force in July 2010. This area refers to the Baltic Sea itself, as well as the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland and the entrance to the Baltic Sea, bounded by latitude 57°44.8′ N at Skagen Point in the Skagerrak Strait. The specific location and scope of the control area are shown in the figure below.
According to Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78), from July 1, 2010, ships sailing in this area shall use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 1.00% m/m, and from January 1, 2015, they shall use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.10% m/m. In addition, if a ship uses an exhaust gas cleaning system with an effect equivalent to that of low-sulfur fuel, it may be exempted from the low-sulfur fuel requirement.
2
North Sea Emission Control Area (including the English Channel)
The North Sea area is a sulfur oxide emission control area established with the approval of the IMO and officially put into use in July 2010. This area refers to the North Sea itself, including the sea areas within the following limits:
(a) the North Sea area south of latitude 62° N and east of longitude 4° W;
(b) the Skagerrak Strait, south to latitude 57°44.8′ N at Skagen Point;
(c) the English Channel and its entrance east of longitude 5° W and north of latitude 48°30′ N.
According to Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention, from July 1, 2010, ships sailing in this area shall use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 1.00% m/m, and from January 1, 2015, they shall use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.10% m/m. In addition, if a ship uses an exhaust gas cleaning system with an effect equivalent to that of low-sulfur fuel, it may be exempted from the low-sulfur fuel requirement.
3
North American Emission Control Area
The North American Emission Control Area is a sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide emission control area established with the approval of the IMO and officially put into use on August 1, 2012. This area is located near the coasts of the United States and Canada and includes the following sea areas:
(a) the sea area off the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada;
(b) the sea area off the Atlantic coast of the United States, Canada and France (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) and the Gulf of Mexico of the United States;
(c) the sea areas off the coasts of Hawaiian islands such as the island of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Molokai, Niihau, Kauai, Lanai and Kahoolawe.
According to Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention, from August 1, 2012, ships sailing in this area shall use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 1.00% m/m, and from January 1, 2015, they shall use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.10% m/m. In addition, if a ship uses an exhaust gas cleaning system with an effect equivalent to that of low-sulfur fuel, it may be exempted from the low-sulfur fuel requirement. Regarding nitrogen oxide emissions, the MARPOL Convention stipulates that from January 1, 2016, ships sailing in this area shall use marine diesel engines that comply with the "Tier III" standards specified in regulation 13 of Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention.
4
United States Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area
The United States Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area is a sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide emission control area established with the approval of the IMO and officially entered into force on January 1, 2013. This area is located near the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
According to Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention, from January 1, 2014, ships sailing in this area shall use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 1.00% m/m, and from January 1, 2015, they shall use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.10% m/m. In addition, if a ship uses an exhaust gas cleaning system with an effect equivalent to that of low-sulfur fuel, it may be exempted from the low-sulfur fuel requirement. Regarding nitrogen oxide emissions, the MARPOL Convention stipulates that from January 1, 2016, ships sailing in this area shall use marine diesel engines that comply with the "Tier III" standards specified in regulation 13 of Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention.
5
European Sea Emission Control Area
The European Sea Emission Control Area was established by the European Union through legislation and officially put into use in January 2010. This area covers all EU ports, but does not include the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands.
According to EU directives (EU Low Sulphur Directive 2005/33/EC, 82/714/EEC, etc.), from January 1, 2010, member states shall ensure that ships berthing (including mooring and anchoring) in EU ports for more than 2 hours use fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.10% m/m (not applicable to ships using shore power during berthing). In addition, if a ship uses fuels such as LNG or adopts other emission reduction measures so that its sulfur oxide emissions are equivalent to the use of low-sulfur fuel, EU member states may allow the ship to be exempted from the low-sulfur fuel requirement. Regarding nitrogen oxides, ships in the waters under the jurisdiction of EU countries (including coastal and inland waters) shall implement the nitrogen oxide emission limit requirements specified in EU Stage 4 and Stage 5 in January 2014 and January 2019, respectively.
6
California Emission Control Area of the United States
The California Emission Control Area of the United States was established by the California Air Resources Board and officially put into use in August 2012. This area covers the 24-nautical-mile sea area off the coast of California, ports and some islands (see Figure 2).
Under the California Code of Regulations (Titles 13 and 17) of the California Air Resources Board, vessels operating within this area must, from August 1, 2012, use marine gas oil with a sulfur content not exceeding 1.00% m/m or marine diesel oil with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.50% m/m, and from January 1, 2014, use marine gas oil or marine diesel oil with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.10% m/m. Exhaust gas cleaning systems are not accepted in this area as an equivalent method of compliance in lieu of low-sulfur fuel. With regard to nitrogen oxides, from January 1, 2009, vessels in waters under US jurisdiction must comply with the nitrogen oxide emission limits specified in Tier 3 of Regulation 13 of MARPOL Annex VI, and from January 1, 2014, commercial diesel engines must comply with the nitrogen oxide emission limits specified in Tier 4.
Some friends said they could not tell the exact locations from the map, so we looked up the coordinates set by the IMO; the second officer can mark them on the chart.
To view the detailed coordinates, please copy the following link and open it in your browser's address bar: http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/AirPollution/Pages/Emission-Control-Areas-%28ECAs%29-designated-under-regulation-13-of-MARPOL-Annex-VI-%28NOx-emission-control%29.aspx
Now let's look at this peculiar one: US California Emission Control Area
The California Emission Control Area was established by the California Air Resources Board and officially took effect in August 2012. The area covers the 24-nautical-mile sea area along the coast of California, ports and some islands.
Schematic diagram of the US California Emission Control Area
In addition to the above six, the following areas also require the use of fuel with a sulfur content below 0.1%:
IV. China's latest emission control areas
On December 20, 2018, China's Ministry of Transport issued the Implementation Plan for Ship Air Pollutant Emission Control Areas, specifying the scope and control requirements as follows:
I. Emission control areas:
Building on the existing ship emission control areas in the Bohai Rim (Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei), Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta waters, China further expanded their geographical scope to include coastal and inland river control areas.
China's coastal and inland river control areas are shown on the left, and the Hainan control area is shown on the right:
China's inland river control areas
II. Requirements for controlling sulfur oxide emissions from ships:
1. From January 1, 2019, all ships entering the coastal control area must use marine fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.5% m/m.
2. From January 1, 2020, seagoing ships entering inland river emission control areas must use marine fuel oil with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.1% m/m.
3. From January 1, 2022, ships entering the Hainan control area must use ultra-low-sulfur fuel with a sulfur content of 0.1% m/m.
4. From January 1, 2025, all ships entering the coastal control area must use marine fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 0.1% m/m. (This provision has not yet been implemented and is still under evaluation.)
III. Provisions have also been made for nitrogen oxide emissions:
a. January 1, 2000 or later is the construction date (based on keel laying) or the date of major conversion applicable to ships on international voyages with individual engine power exceeding 130 kW; these ships must meet the tier-I nitrogen oxide emission standards under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.
b. January 1, 2011 or later is the construction date (based on keel laying) or the date of major conversion applicable to ships on international voyages with individual engine power exceeding 130 kW; these ships must meet the tier-II nitrogen oxide emission standards under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.
c. March 1, 2015 or later is the construction date (based on keel laying) or the date of major conversion applicable to Chinese-flagged ships on domestic voyages with individual engine power exceeding 130 kW; these ships must meet the tier-II nitrogen oxide emission standards under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.
d. January 1, 2022 or later is the construction date (based on keel laying) or the date of major conversion applicable to Chinese-flagged ships on domestic voyages entering the coastal and inland river control areas. Ships with a displacement of 30 liters or more per cylinder must meet the tier-III nitrogen oxide emission standards under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.
IV. There are also requirements for the use of shore power
V. South Korea's latest emission control areas
These include eight South Korean ports: Busan, Incheon, Ulsan, Yeosu, Gwangyang, Hadong, Pyeongtaek and Dangjin. The period before the end of 2020 was a transition period, with fuel changeover one hour before and after berthing. From 2021 onward, ships entering these control areas must use low-sulfur fuel with a sulfur content of 0.1%.
VI. Iceland's ports and waters;
VII. Norway's World Heritage fjord areas;
VIII. Ports in Turkey
Finally, a look at exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS)
Exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) are SOx-equivalent compliance systems used to meet the global sulfur cap. IMO resolution MEPC.259(68) sets out detailed provisions for the use of EGCS on ships worldwide. In addition to following these provisions, regions around the world have introduced specific regional requirements, including those for washwater discharge. The requirements of key countries and regions are summarized below.
Asia
China
Discharging washwater from open-loop exhaust gas cleaning systems is prohibited in port waters within inland waterway control areas and coastal control areas, and in the waters of the Bohai Sea.
Hong Kong, China
1. For a ship using an EGCS, a written application for the initial or subsequent exemption certificate must be submitted 14 days before arrival at port; after satisfactory review of the relevant documents, the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department will issue an exemption valid for no more than 3 years.
2. If a ship uses non-compliant fuel oil, an exemption for one port stay may be granted with the consent of the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department.
Taiwan, China
Exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) are accepted as an equivalent alternative method if the provisions of MEPC.259(68) are met.
Australia
Restricted discharge of washwater
Discharging washwater requires meeting the following requirements:
1. Equivalent approval from the flag State administration or its authorized RO is required.
2. Notify AMSA before arriving at the first port in Australia, and report as required.
3. Meet the monitoring requirements for washwater discharge.
4. Meet the requirements for shore disposal, treatment and recording of EGCS washwater residues.
5. Washwater testing is sampling analysis during EGCS commissioning, and must be carried out once every twelve months for at least two years. If the data or evidence from this sampling water analysis is not provided to AMSA before arriving at the first port in Australia, the ship is not permitted to discharge EGCS washwater directly into Australian waters.
6. If any EGCS is found not to meet the requirements of the IMO guidelines (including but not limited to washwater discharge standards), use of the EGCS in Australian waters may be prohibited.
Japan / South Korea
EGCS is accepted as an equivalent alternative method in accordance with the relevant IMO guidelines.
Singapore
1. Discharge of wash water is prohibited from January 1, 2020 (this prohibition does not apply to ships in traffic separation schemes (TSS) that do not berth in the Port of Singapore).
2. For ships flying the Singapore flag, emission reduction technologies installed on board must be approved by MPA (applied to MPA through the RO).
European Region
European Union
1. Unless a closed-loop EGCS is used, fuel oil with a sulfur content exceeding 3.5% shall not be used.
2. For ships flying the flag of an EU Member State, the EGCS shall be approved in accordance with the requirements of DIRECTIVE 2014/90/EU for marine equipment (MED).
3. For EGCS based on research and testing purposes, the EU has set out requirements for reporting, duration, emissions and assessment.
4. For EGCS using chemical agents, additives, formulations and related chemical agents generated within the system, unless the shipping company demonstrates that the discharge of its wash water has no significant negative effects and does not pose a threat to human health and the environment, the wash water shall not be discharged into the sea, including enclosed docks, ports and estuaries. If NaOH is used, the wash water may be discharged if it meets the discharge standards of the IMO EGCS Guidelines and its pH value does not exceed 8.0.
5. For ships navigating in EU waters, EGCS with continuous monitoring of SOx emissions is required, which means that equipment approved under Scheme A is not suitable for use unless it is provided with a redundant continuous exhaust gas monitoring (SO2/CO2) system.
EU Directive (Directive 2012/33/EU) allows the use of EGCS as an alternative measure to SOx emission control requirements, but it shall be operated in closed mode (Article 3a). Therefore, for ships equipped with open-type EGCS, they shall promptly switch to compliant fuel oil and stop the EGCS before entering waters specified in the EU Directive; and for ships equipped with hybrid EGCS, they shall promptly switch to closed mode operation before entering waters specified in the EU Directive. The relevant fuel oil changeover or EGCS operating mode changeover shall be recorded as required.
Prohibition of Wash Water Discharge
The following countries prohibit wash water discharge:
Germany, Belgium, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ireland
Americas Region
United States
Differences from IMO requirements:
1. The discharge of wash water shall not contain oil, including oily mixtures, in harmful quantities as determined under 40 CFR Part 110.
2. Discharge of wash water residues is prohibited; they must be delivered to shore reception facilities.
3. Special provisions for the use of EGCS:
3.1 Continuous monitoring equipment for wash water must be calibrated periodically in accordance with the requirements of the testing equipment manufacturer and the EGCS manufacturer.
3.2 Monitoring equipment for PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) emissions shall have a durability of at least 2 years.
3.3 Provisions for EGCS wash water discharge:
1) The pH value measured at the ship's overboard discharge outlet shall not be less than 6.0; other pH measurement methods are not accepted. As an exception during ship maneuvering and changeover, a maximum difference of 2.0 pH units between inlet and outlet is allowed; this difference must be measured at the ship's inlet and overboard discharge locations.
2) Beyond 3 nautical miles from shore, the USCG may adopt a case-by-case approach and accept the IMO provisions for wash water discharge values and measurement methods (i.e., direct measurement or calculated measurement).
3) Two samples of each component required to be analyzed in 4) below must be collected and analyzed during the first year of permit coverage or system operation, whichever is earlier, to demonstrate the maintenance of the treatment equipment, the accuracy of the probes and compliance with the permit requirements. Samples shall not be collected within 14 days of each other. Samples must be collected at the inlet water (as background), the water after passing through the scrubber (but before any treatment system), and the discharge water. After the first year, samples must be collected at least once each calendar year. Records of sampling and testing results must be retained on board for 3 years.
4) The items required to be analyzed mentioned in 3) above are as follows: a. Dissolved metals and total metals: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Se, Ti, V, Zn (EPA Method 200.8 or 200.9 recommended); b. PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) (EPA Method 550.1, 610, 625, 8100, 8270c, 8310 recommended); c. Nitrate and nitrite (EPA Method 353.2 recommended); d. pH value (Standard Method (SM) 4500-H B).
The California CARB regulation (13 CCR, section 2299.2) does not allow the use of EGCS as an alternative method for SOx emission control (temporary exemptions are granted only for emission reduction technologies/methods in the experimental and research stages). For ships equipped with EGCS, they shall promptly switch to compliant MGO or MDO and stop the EGCS before entering waters specified in the CARB regulation (within 24 nautical miles of the coast), and the relevant changeover operations shall be recorded as required.
Canal Authorities
Panama Canal Authority / Suez Canal Authority
Prohibition of Wash Water Discharge
Edited source: Ship Lecture Hall
On the basis of successfully holding a series of special forums, summits and exhibitions on ships and marine engineering at home and abroad, International Ship & Offshore Media headquartered in Shanghai and Shanghai Shuaihao Culture Communication Co., Ltd. are pleased to announce that the discussion on ship EEXI and opportunities for popular ship types will be held in Shanghai on December 2-3. Many domestic and foreign shipowners, shipyards, design, finance, equipment supporting and service departments will enthusiastically participate, as if seeing the truth in the pictures, in the “2020 Green Intelligent Ship & Offshore International Exhibition and Forum” and the concurrently held “5th Shanghai Summit on Ship Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) and Scrubbers”, to be held in Shanghai on December 2-3, 2020 for two days. The future application and development of new concepts such as ballast water systems, scrubbers, LNG fuel gas supply systems (FGSS) and ship EEXI will be the highlights of the exchange.
