MEPC 63

The IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) held its 63rd session from 27 February to 2 March 2012. A number of regulatory initiatives were progressed, as highlighted below. A full report of the meeting will be included in the next ABS International Regulatory News Update. Ship Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) The Committee approved a number of revisions to guidelines on the method of calculation of the Attained EEDI for new ships as contained in MEPC.1/Circ.681: bulk carriers and oil tankers built to the Common Structural Rules (CSR) of the classification societies a capacity correction factor is applied to the attained EEDI to account for in creased lightship weight and the corresponding reduction in deadweight capacity shipspecific structural enhancements a correction factor (proportional to the ratio of the minimum design dwt and the enhanced design dwt) is applied to account for increased lightship, for example, due to increased longitudinal strength, structural class notations, bow slamming reinforcement and collision strength containerships 70% deadweight is used as capacity to harmonize service speed, deadweight and power of containerships (65% was previously applied) chemical carriers a cubic correction factor (dwt/cubic cargo capacity) is applied to the Attained EEDI to take into account the increased lightship due to the greater number of cargo tanks and increased scantlings of those tanks to carry the higher density cargoes relative to oil tankers, both of which need to comply with the same Required EEDI iceclassed ships correction factors for power and capacity were adjusted to take into account new data although there were some who considered that the corrections were not sufficient for large iceclassed tankers all ships as an option to applying a weather factor of 1.0, EEDI can be determined by conducting the shipspecific simulation on its performance at representative sea conditions in which case attained EEDIweather. is assigned to the shipThe Committee did not conclude on proposals for minimum design speed and minimum power and agreed to further consider the proposals at MEPC 64 in October 2012. New MARPOL VI regulation 21.2 requires the installed propulsion power of a ship to be not less than the propulsion power needed to maintain its maneuverability under adverse conditions as defined in the guidelines under development.An informal group which convened during IMOs intersessional working group on energy efficiency tentatively proposed that a practical means of complying with the intent of this regulation would be to specify minimum design speeds for various ship types. The informal group proposed a minimum design speed of 14 knots for small and medium size ships and 14.5 knots for ships greater than 100k dwtrecognizing that slow speed ships (tankers and bulk carriers) are the most vulnerable whereas fast ships (e.g. containerships) may not need to have a required minimum design speed. IACS confirmed that it intended to submit a proposal (minimum power versus deadweight reference lines) to MEPC 64 containing both an interim approach and the basis for a longer term solution.Application of EEDI The Committee unanimously agreed that the EEDI as specified in MARPOL VI/Chapter 4 is not to be applied to existing ships. Despite some Delegates recommendations that energy efficiency design based Market Based Measures (MBM) should not be submitted to the agreed MBM impact assessment study, other Delegations considered that there should be some means to compare the energy efficiency of existing ships. Accordingly, all MBM proposals, with any refinements based on MEPC 63 discussions, can be submitted to MEPC 64 in October for consideration by the impact assessment study upon finalization of the studys terms of reference in October 2012. Ships Energy Efficiency Management PlanThe Committee approved revisions of the Guidelines for Ships Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) as contained in MEPC.1/Circ.684 in three areas. The SEEMP: should recognize that the trade a ship is engaged in may determine the feasibility of the efficiency measures under consideration. The methods of improving energy efficiency for ships such as pipe laying, seismic survey, OSVs and dredgers may be very different when compared to conventional cargo carriers; should recognize that when a ship diverts from its scheduled passage to engage in search and rescue operations, data obtained during such operations need not be used in ship energy efficiency monitoring; and no longer acknowledges that shipowners/operators may make public the results of the actions they have taken which have impacted ship efficiency. Guidelines on Survey and Certification of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI)The Committee adopted guidelines for the survey and certification of the Attained EEDI. The process is conducted in two stages: Preliminary verification is carried out at the design stage which should include model tests for determining the ships power curves. This leads to the development of an EEDI Technical File (which contains the details of the parameters used to calculate the Attained EEDI). Details are provided as to the determination of the parameters in the Technical File. Final verification of the EEDI Technical File is carried out at the sea trials consistent with the parameters used in the method of calculation of the Attained EEDI. Specifications for sea conditions, ship speed and shaft power and RPM of the main engine are provided. Regional Reception FacilitiesThe Committee adopted amendments to MARPOL Annexes I, II, IV and V to allow Small Island Developing States to develop regional arrangements for port reception facilities, both inside and outside of special areas. Such arrangements may be achieved through regional arrangements based on guidelines approved by the Committee where, because of such States' unique circumstances, regionalarrangements are the only practical means to satisfy MARPOLs requirements.A unique arrangement was agreed under MARPOL Annex II for the discharge requirements of prewash residues in chemical carriers. The revision now allows the discharge of prewash residues to be made to a Regional Ship Waste Reception Centre specified in the applicable Regional Reception Facility Plan as anoption to the port of unloading. NOx Code Revision The Committee adopted revisions to the NOx Technical Code which, on entry into force on 1 August 2013, allow for an alternative approach (Scheme B) to be used to certify engines fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units.Scheme B allows certification of engines, which cannot be precertified either on a test bed or on board under the NOx Codes standard requirements,

by allowing for analytic modelling to estimate the effect that the proposed SCR design and arrangement will have on the NOx emissions from the engine to which it is to be fitted. This modelling is to be validated by testing that can be undertaken using a scaled bench top mockup operating on synthetic exhaust gas. The entire Engine Group (engines that require minor onboard adjustments and modifications) would not be approved until the NOx reduction effficiency, relative to the Parent Engine NOx Technical File, has been demonstrated with the SCR installed onboard. Ballast Water ManagementTwelve months after entry into force of the BWM Convention all ships 400gt will need to be surveyed and certificated to comply with the Convention. As a minimum, ships must have on board an approved Ballast Water Management Plan and a ballast water record book. To provide for an adequate phasein period for survey and certification in advance of the compliance date, the Committee agreed to allowthe issuance of BWM Certificates prior to entry into force of the Convention.The Committee also agreed that BWM Plans approved under A.868(20) remain acceptable until such time as the ship is required to comply with the biological standards in regulation D2 of the BWM Convention.The Committee granted Basic Approval to the following systems: Smart Ballast BWTS submitted by the Republic of Korea (MEPC 62/2/8); DMUOH BWTS submitted by China (MEPC 63/2) EcoGuardian BWTS submitted by the Republic of Korea (MEPC 63/2/4)The Committee granted Final Approval to the following systems: SiCURETM BWTS submitted by Germany (MEPC 62/2/10) ERMA FIRST BWTS submitted by Greece (MEPC 63/2/1) MICROFADE BWTS submitted by Japan (MEPC 63/2/2) AquaStar BWTS submitted by the Republic of Korea (MEPC 63/2/3) NeoPurimar BWTS submitted by the Republic of Korea (MEPC 63/2/6)Ship RecyclingThe Committee endorsed the proposal, which will be included in Survey and Certification Guidelines which are under development, that accepts that a Statement of Compliance on Inventory of Hazardous Material for existing ships will be considered as complying with the requirements of the Convention foran interim period up to the Convention's entry into force, after which the Administration may issue the IHM Certificate on the basis of the IHM SOC. MARPOL Annex V (Garbage) Guidelines for the Implementation of MARPOL Annex V (Garbage) were approved by the Committee for the revision of Annex V which will enter into force on 1 January 2013, as per resolution MEPC.201(62). A significant amendment of Annex V is the prohibition of the discharge of cargo hold cleaning agents and additives classified as being harmful to the marine environment contained in hold wash water. Anassociated circular was also approved which allows for selfclassification of cargo residues, cleaning agents and additives harmful to the marine environment by the shippers using MARPOL Annex V criteria until 1 January 2015, after which full implementation is required.Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans (GMP) were also approved. The revisions take into account the revisions of MARPOL V that were adopted by resolution MEPC.201(62).Every ship 100gt, every ship certified to carry 15 persons, and fixed or floating platforms are required to carry a GMP.