UK P&I Club: Possible Lack of ECA Compliant Fuel Means Documentation Efforts Should be Taken Seriously

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday December 17, 2014

Owners and operators operating in North American Emission Control Areas (ECA) may find it difficult to obtain ECA-compliant fuel, and should therefore take documentation efforts seriously in order to show appropriate best efforts were made to comply, UK P&I Club has warned.

The insurer said that despite U.S. government assessments, compliant fuel is not widely available in North America as of yet, despite the fact that low-sulfur regulations come into play starting January 1, 2015.

It also warned that the current industry practice of casual text messages and one line emails would not be enough to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) interim guidance for the non-availability of low-sulfur fuel oil, which states that vessels must prove that they have made "best efforts to obtain compliant fuel."

That will include extensive documentation of requests through emails or telephone diaries along the entire ECA route.

"These comprehensive records should include, at the very least, the names of every possible fuel supplier contacted at every port along the planned voyage route, the dates of such contact, and the basis for knowledge that compliant fuel is not available," said the insurer. 

UK P&I said that particularly in the first quarter of 2015, "swift, public enforcement action for parties found to be in violation of the standard" is expected.

The EPA had also previously issued a notice of heightened compliance enforcement at the start of next year, when ECA sulfur limits are lowered to 0.10 percent by weight.