IBIA made a statement during the February session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 7) under the agenda item where the IMO is grappling with the contentious issue of discharges to water from exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers. Bans on open loop discharges have been… …more…

As the IMO is working on a harmonised approach to the sensitive subject of restricting discharge water from exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers, there has been a call for developing a centralised database detailing local/regional restrictions/conditions on the discharge water from EGCS. At present, bans on open loop scrubber… …more…

A scope has been drafted for factors to consider when assessing the discharges from exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers, as part of the IMO’s work to harmonise rules and guidance on the subject. There have been unilateral moves to implement restrictions on the use of open loop scrubbers in… …more…

Revised IMO guidelines for the approval and certification of exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers, are due for adoption at the next meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 75). Regulation 4 of MARPOL Annex VI on “Equivalents” allows for the use of alternative compliance methods if they provide… …more…

The IMO has developed guidelines for taking so-called “onboard” samples of fuel from ships, a move that will enable relevant authorities to take samples to check if ships are complying with the high sulphur fuel oil carriage ban that takes effect on 1 March. Ships are alrady prohibited from using… …more…

IBIA informed an IMO meeting last week that most of the very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) blends seen in the market so far would likely be affected by the proposed heavy fuel oil (HFO) use and carriage ban in the Arctic. HFO has been defined by the IMO as… …more…

The IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) has agreed draft amendments to MARPOL Annex I that would prohibit using and carrying heavy fuel oil (HFO) as fuel by ships in Arctic waters with effect from 1 July 2024, but with a provision to allow a waiver for domestic… …more…

Dear Dr Prior Thank you for your letter dated 23 January. First, please be assured that the co-authors listed below fully support IMO’s emissions reduction and de-carbonisation programmes and have been working extremely hard with their members and colleagues at IMO and elsewhere to ensure the environmental footprint of shipping… …more…

The Clean Arctic Alliance (CAA) has published a letter addressed to the co-authors of the Joint Industry Guidance on “The supply and use of 0.50%-sulphur marine fuel”.  IBIA received a copy of this letter on Friday 24 January.  In response to multiple queries raised in the wake of CAA’s publicised… …more…

IBIA met with several large globally operating shipping and bunkering companies during a visit to Copenhagen in mid-January, who were all reporting a surprisingly smooth transition to the 0.50% sulphur limit for marine fuels which came into force on 1 January, 2020. They had another element in common: they all… …more…