In the very first quarter of 2020, many ships calling at the Port of Singapore have actually adhered to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 sulphur laws considering that they entered into impact on 1 January 2020. Under MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14.1, the sulphur web content of any type of gas oil utilized aboard ships running outside an exhaust control location will not go beyond 0.50% m/m from 1 January 2020. Likewise, the sulphur web content of gas oil utilized or brought for usage aboard a ship will not go beyond 0.50% m/m from 01 March 2020.[1]
Port of Singapore
Based on pre-arrival alert sent to the Maritime as well as Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) from January to March 2020, around 96% of the ships that showed up in the Port of Singapore utilized certified gas. This omits ships mounted with open-loop scrubbers that change to making use of certified gas upon showing up in the Port of Singapore.
In the very first quarter of 2020, MPA carried out an overall of 326 Port State Control (PSC) as well as Flag State Control (FSC) evaluations in the Port ofSingapore During these evaluations, MPA discovered 12 ships, which were not fitted with scrubbers, making use of gas that partially surpassed the sulphur restriction.
Representation Image– Photograph by General Practitioner
This was most likely as a result of remnant deposits of high-sulphur gas in the gas oil storage tanks as well as piping. It is anticipated that in time, the gas oil storage tanks as well as piping will certainly be correctly purged with the constant use certified gas. MPA had actually educated the particular supervisors as well as flag managements of these ships regarding the non-compliance.
Additionally, 2 foreign-registered ships were discovered to be making use of non-compliant gas. They were each released a PSC apprehension order, as well as were just permitted to leave from the Port of Singapore after it was confirmed that they had actually switched over to making use of certified gas.
In light of Singapore’s restriction on the discharge of clean water from open-loop scrubbers, no ship mounted with an open-loop scrubber was discovered to be running its scrubber in the Port of Singapore.
Singapore-Registered Ships Outside Singapore
During the very first 3 months of 2020, there was no Singapore- signed up ship apprehended by port state authorities for non-compliance with the IMO 2020 laws. Two ships reported the non-availability of certified gas, as well as sent the needed Fuel Oil Non-Availability Report
Amongst the handful of Singapore- signed up ships mounted with scrubbers, there were 31 records of scrubber breakdown as at 29 February 2020.
Mr Goh Chung Hun, MPA’s Director of Marine, stated, “As a leading maritime nation, Singapore is committed to reducing the environmental impact of shipping. By engaging the industry proactively, providing the necessary technical guidance and maintaining an adequate supply of compliant fuel in Singapore, we have ensured a high degree of compliance with IMO 2020 sulphur regulations. Singapore will continue to play its part to make shipping clean and sustainable.”
[1] These demands do not put on ships that make use of reduction modern technology accepted by the flag management as equal ways of conformity under MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 4. One such reduction modern technology is the exhaust gas cleansing system (scrubber).
Reference: mpa.gov.sg
