|
At the beginning of the month the North American Emissions
Control Area (ECA) went into effect, which require ships to burn fuel with
sulphur content no higher than 1%. However, the US
cruise industry is unhappy with the situation and, fearing 2.2 million fewer
cruisers visiting North America, is lobbying for changes.
Likewise, the State of Alaska, fearing a loss of its own of
585,000 visitors is suing the US Government, saying that implementation of the
new ECA is unconstitutional.
The North American Emission Control Area (ECA), under the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL),
brings in stricter controls on emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen
oxides (NOx) and particulate matter for ships trading off the coasts of Canada,
the United States and the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and
Miquelon.
Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI (Regulations for the prevention of air pollution
from ships) to establish the North American ECA entered into force on 1 August
2011, with a 12-month period before becoming effective.
There are now three designated ECAs in effect globally, the other two being SOx
ECAs in the Baltic Sea area and the North Sea area.
A fourth area, the United States Caribbean Sea ECA, covering certain waters
adjacent to the coasts of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, was
designated under MARPOL amendments adopted in July 2011, with expected entry
into force on 1 January 2013, with the new ECA taking effect 12 months later on
1 January 2014.
Within ECAS, the SOx content of fuel oil (expressed in terms of % m/m – that is,
by weight) must be no more than 1.00% m/m; falling to 0.10% m/m on and after 1
January 2015.
This compares to 3.50% m/m outside an ECA, falling to 0.50% m/m on and after 1
January 2020. This date could be deferred to 1 January 2025, depending on the
outcome of a review, to be completed by 2018, as to the availability of
compliant fuel oil.
In practice, this means that, within an ECA, ships must burn fuel oil of a lower
SOx content. Alternatively, the ship may use any “fitting, material, appliance
or apparatus or other procedures, alternative fuel oils, or compliance methods”,
which are at least as effective in terms of emissions reductions, as approved by
the Party to MARPOL Annex VI.
With regard to NOx emissions, marine diesel engines installed on a ship
constructed on or after 1 January 2011 must comply with the “Tier II” standard
set out in regulation 13 of MARPOL Annex VI. Marine diesel engines installed on
a ship constructed on or after 1 January 2016 will be required to comply with
the more stringent Tier III NOx standard, when operated in a designated NOx ECA. |
|
 |
