MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14 – Next Emissions Deadline is January 1, 2015

Since being established in 2005, MARPOL Annex VI has gone through consistent change. Back at its inception, there were only Sulfur Emission Control Areas (SECAs), not Emission Control Areas – and those areas were purely monitored for sulfur oxide emissions (SOx), with no restrictions on nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions.

Successive changes in requirements

In 2010, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) updated those laws to guarantee that ECAs monitored the emissions of all three types – SOx, NOx and PM. And, at the same time, the SOx emissions were reduced even further to a limit of 1.0 percent in fuels within ECAs.

The phased reduction of SOx emissions in ECAs will continue in January 2015, when the SOx content in fuel will be reduced to 0.1%, which is only 10 percent of the current limits.

These restrictions are implemented with the goal of having a beneficial effect on the environment – particularly the restrictions around SOx, which target improving the health of people, especially those living in port and coastal areas.

How much will the change cost shipping companies?

SOx emissions, unlike other pollutants like NOx emissions, are almost exclusively a result of the content of sulfur in a vessel’s fuel. However, low-sulfur fuel can carry a high price tag. For example, in the Port of Rotterdam in 2013, marine fuel statistics revealed that the price of low-sulfur marine fuel was nearly 1/3 more expensive than the high-sulfur counterparts. But marine fuel prices are very volatile, so it does not necessarily follow that switching to a fuel with low sulfur content will be more expensive for all shipping companies.

Alternatives to low-sulfur fuel

One alternative to low sulfur fuel that is permitted by the IMO is the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCSs) or scrubbers. Scrubbers, particularly, are cost-effective, as vessels can continue to use the cheaper fuels while still complying with the emissions requirements.

A 2011 study by Reynolds revealed that any vessel that uses over 4000 metric tons of fuel yearly in an ECA should have a scrubber installed on board.

Monitoring the compliance with these emissions requirements is a difficult task, given the large ECAs in which vessels travel.Generally speaking, there are two ways to ensure compliance with MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14:

• Initial inspection of the vessel upon which the certificate of performance is issued and later surveyed periodically to confirm performance.
• Continuous emissions monitoring system that relies on parameter checks to confirm compliance

Choosing which emission monitoring system to use is generally made by the scrubber manufacturer as part of the deal with the scrubber.

Although the new emissions requirements might appear to be costly to shipping companies, there are alternatives (like scrubbers) to keep costs down.The latest changes to MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14 will have a positive impact on human health and the environment.

IMO’s chart tracking limits on SOx

* Depending on the outcome of a review, to be concluded in 2018, as to the availability of the required fuel oil, this date could be deferred to 1 January 2025.