ECA Rules Not Economically Reasonable, Agree Delegates at Russian Conference

Konstantin Palnikov delivered his speech at the conference

Delegates at the Impact of Shipping on Air in Europe conference last week in St Petersburg concluded that Emissions Control Area (ECA) rules are not economically reasonable, PortNews reports.

According to the report, delegates agreed that Baltic and North Sea sulfur rules due to take force next year go beyond purely technical measures and have been poorly calculated.

Ship owners and operators will suffer an additional financial burden which is justified neither by real environmental threats nor in light of the available technological solutions for compliance, it was argued.

From January 1, 2015, fuel used within ECA waters must contain no more than 0.10 percent sulfur by weight or, alternatively, a ship's sulfur oxide emissions must be reduced to an equivalent level through the use of technology solutions such as scrubbers.

This means that shippers operating in ECA waters will have a choice between more expensive fuel or investing in technology, with the report noting that a number of maritime nations have acknowledged the likelihood of negative consequences for the shipping industry as a result of the new rules.

According to PortNews, those at the conference felt that engine design was a slow process and depended on a conservative industry but that the development of efficient and clean engines should be allowed to run its course.

In summary, delegates questioned whether the problem of air pollution in ECA areas was so acute that new environmental regulations should trump economic considerations of shippers.

There was also discussion of fears that the extension of ECA rules to include nitrogen oxide caps would apply only to the Baltic, harming the area's competitiveness when compared to neighbouring routes, said the report.

Finnlines recently said ECA rules contributed to its decision to cancel its charter of passenger and RoRo freight vessel.