Air Emissions Update in China

Further to our note China MSA recently issued the Notice on Strengthening the Supervision and Management on Emission Control Areas for Vessels including the Guideline of Supervision and Management on ECAs for Vessels, which provides for the following:

• vessels using low sulphur bunkers shall keep records in the engine logs about the beginning and ending dates for transferring the bunker fuels, time, latitude and longitude of vessel, the content of sulphur, the amount of use of such fuel with low sulphur, the operating personnel who transfers the fuels and other relevant information. Such vessel shall also prepare a written procedure for transferring the fuels as the part of vessel safety control system.
• vessels using shore-based power and has made relevant arrangement about such procedure, shall be given priority. By the same token, such vessel shall record the dates and times as well as other related information into the engine log.
• vessels using liquefied natural gas or other clean energy shall remark the type of such clean energy on the Air Pollution Prevention Certificate issued by vessel survey authority. The vessel powered with mix fuel shall record the amount of use, the date and time of transferring the fuel, and other information within the engine log.
• vessels using exhaust after treatment device as substitute measures, is required to hold the Product Certificate of Exhaust After treatment Device issued by vessel survey authority, and make such note under the Certificate of Air Pollution Prevention. Similarly, the information related to the date and time of using the said device etc shall be recorded in the engine log.
• vessels which are unable to comply with the requirements shall timely report to the local MSA and makes a relevant record in the deck log.

Please contact Helen Huang at the Club if you wish a copy of the Notice.