HELCOM Agrees to Roadmap for Baltic Sea NOx ECA

HELCOM says it has agreed on a Roadmap that details a commitment to submit to IMO a proposal for a Baltic Sea NOx Emission Control Area.

The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Thursday announced that it has agreed to a roadmap, that includes a proposal for a Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Emissions Control Area (ECA) for the Baltic Sea that will be submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at the Marine Environment Protection Committee's (MEPC's) 70th session in October.

"NOx emissions from shipping is a major source of airborne deposition of Nitrogen, aggravating the serious eutrophication of the Baltic Sea," said HELCOM, noting that the proposal for a Baltic Sea NOx ECA has been developed in accordance with the IMO MARPOL Convention Annex VI.

"According to estimates, Baltic Sea NECA has potential to reduce cost efficiently and significantly - around 7 kilotons per year - Nitrogen input to the Baltic Sea after a time lag needed for fleet renewal as the regulation addresses only new ships."

The initiative is said to stem from the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, which was agreed to by group's membership of the nine coastal countries and the European Union (EU).

HELCOM, which says it has been carrying out required environmental and economic studies since 2007, finalized the needed submission papers, and has carried out "intensive negotiations" to ensure the right timing for a final IMO submission.

HELCOM says that coastal countries and the HELCOM Secretariat will now work on preparations for a submission to the MEPC 70 Meeting, noting that the submission is set to take place in parallel to a similar NOx ECA submission from the North Sea countries.

"This anticipated reduction is significant and corresponds to more than the entire country-wise Nitrogen pollution load reduction commitment of several Baltic Sea countries according to the HELCOM Country Allocated Reduction Target (CART) scheme agreed in 2007, and updated in 2013," said the organisation.

In November, a report released by the European Commission (EC) showed that not only does slow steaming lower fuel consumption, it also reduces NOx emissions.