New emissions control requirements

All tankers carrying crude oil will be required to carry and implement a ship-specific volatile organic compounds management plan, approved by the administration. The VOC management plan is required to be consistent with guidelines established by the MEPC in resolution 185 (59) and MEPC.1/Circ.680.

The plan approval procedure will be as follows:

1. The owner is to send the ship specific VOC management plan as a word template, or in pdf form, by email to the relevant classification society for review and commenting.

2. The classification society returns comments by email to owner.

3. The owner updates his submission accordingly and sends a final version to the society.

4. The society approves and returns the manual.

A ship-specific VOC management plan must, at the very least, provide written procedures for minimising VOC emissions during loading of cargo, sea passage and discharge of cargo. Additionally, VOCs generated during crude oil washing need to be considered.