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MANILA, Philippines — Amendments to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) MARPOL Convention for the prevention of pollution from ships took effect on August 1, 2011, banning heavy fuel oil from the Antarctic and creating a new North American Emission Control Area (ECA).
MARPOL (Marine Pollution) Convention is the International Convention for the prevention of pollution from ships.
A new MARPOL regulation to protect the Antarctic from pollution by heavy-grade oils is added to MARPOL Annex I (Regulations for the prevention of pollution by oil), with a new chapter 9 on special requirements for the use or carriage of oils in the Antarctic area.
Regulation 43 prohibits both the carriage in bulk as cargo and the carriage and use as fuel, of: Crude oils having a density, at 15°C, higher than 900 kg/m3; oils, other than crude oils, having a density, at 15°C, higher than 900 kg/m3 or a kinematic viscosity, at 50°C, higher than 180 mm2/s; or bitumen, tar and their emulsions.
This means, in effect, that ships trading to the area, whether passenger or cargo ships, would need to switch to a different fuel type when transiting the Antarctic area, defined as “the sea area south of latitude 60°S.”
An exception is for vessels engaged in securing the safety of ships or in a search-and-rescue operation.
Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI (prevention of air pollution from ships) will formally establish a North American Emission Control Area, in which emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter from ships will be subject to more stringent controls than the limits that apply globally.
Complete Post at:
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/331578/marpol-convention-amendments-start-august
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