China to Implement Emission Control Measures
Posted by Michelle Howard
February 1, 2016
The Chinese Ministry of Transport has announced that from April 1, 2016, vessels ‘at berth’ at the core ports in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) emission control area (ECA) must use fuel oil containing 0.5 percent sulphur or less. These core ports are Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Suzhou and Nantong.
This requirement is part of emission control measures that will be implemented in the YRD ECA in two phases:
In the first phase, which takes effect from April 1, 2016:
- Ships ‘at berth’ at the core ports in the ECA must use fuel oil containing 0.5 percent sulphur or less
- Ships ‘at berth’ at ports in the ECA are encouraged to use fuel oil containing 0.1 percent sulphur or less, and
- Ships entering the ECA are encouraged to use fuel oil containing 0.5 percent sulphur or less.
The second phase will be implemented dependent on the outcome of assessment of the first phase; the possibilities given at this time are:
- Ships entering the ECA must use fuel oil containing 0.5 percent sulphur or less
- Ships entering the ECA must use fuel oil containing 0.1 percent sulphur or less
- Ships ‘at berth’ at ports in the ECA must use fuel oil containing 0.1 percent sulphur or less.
The exact details of how the measures will be implemented (i.e., enforcement, penalties, the definition of ‘at berth’, and requirements for fuel change-over, verification of fuel quality, records and documentation) are not yet available.
