IMO MEPC 73 Adopts Ban on Carriage of Non-Compliant Fuels

The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73) adopted today the MARPOL amendment to prohibit the carriage of non-compliant fuel oil on board ships.

The ban relates to fuels intended for combustion purposes, propulsion or operation on board a ship, the IMO informed. The entry-into-force date is March 1, 2020.

The measure exempts ships that are fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems or scrubbers.

Supporting sulphur 2020 implementation – MARPOL amendment adopted by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73), to prohibit the carriage of non-compliant fuel oil for combustion purposes for propulsion or operation on board a ship. Entry-into-force date 1 March 2020

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The key issues being tackled by MEPC 73 since Monday, October 22, included reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships, further work on energy efficiency of ships, implementation of sulphur 2020 limit, and ballast water management treaty implementation among other things.

On Monday, the committee approved the follow-up program for IMO’s strategy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships. The program is intended to be used as a planning tool in meeting the timelines identified in the initial IMO strategy, which includes a range of candidate short-, mid- and long term measures yet to be considered.

However, the committee turned down the proposal for the introduction of an experience-building phase on the 2020 sulphur cap prohibiting ships from burning marine fuels with sulphur content higher than 0.5 pct. Instead, the IMO called for proposals on issues regarding fuel quality concerns to be submitted by May, 2019.