IBIA highlights new UK regulations on in-port sulphur limits

The UK Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 essentially implement, in the UK, EU Directive 2005/33/EC, which requires that member states must take all necessary steps to ensure that ships at berth in their ports do not use marine fuels with a sulphur content exceeding 0.1 percent by mass. The new regulations amend the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2008 and implement the marine fuel elements of the EU Sulphur Content of Liquid Fuels (SCLF) Directive.

In addition to the requirements under MARPOL Annex VI, the new regulations embrace the following requirements:

– All passenger ships on regular services between EU ports must use fuels with a sulphur content not exceeding 1.5 per cent by mass

– A 0.1 percent sulphur limit on fuel used by inland waterway vessels and by seagoing ships at berth in EU ports

– A ban on the marketing of marine diesel oils with a sulphur content exceeding 1.5 percent by mass

– A ban on the marketing of marine gas oils with a sulphur content exceeding 0.1 percent by mass

IBIA chief executive Ian Adams says, “It is essential that ships operating in UK waters are in full compliance with the new regulations. As already emphasised, ships are not exempt on the ground that the fuel changeover is unsafe because modifications have not been made to their boilers, or to the ship itself. All non-compliant ships are at risk.

“The new regulations, which make no reference to the new lower sulphur limit for ECAs of one percent which comes into effect on 1 July, 2010, are a good illustration of how domestic implementing legislation often lags behind the decisions of international organisations.”