EMEA News
Danish EPA Doing "Good Job" on Sulfur Monitoring of Shipping, but Won't Name Offenders
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is doing a good job on monitoring shipping in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea area, Sara Ropke of the Danish EPA has said.
With 19 companies reported to the authorities so far, Ropke told told Ship & Bunker that the agency, which operates two sniffers able to detect sulfur emissions, is doing more than it is required to do under the regulations.
"We are doing more than is required under European Union regulations," she said, adding that the sniffers -- one on the Great Belt Bridge and the other from a helicopter -- used to monitor shipping emissions do not form part of its EU obligations.
Ropke said that funding to monitor emissions from shipping operating in the North and Baltic Sea area at the current level is in place for next year.
"We are fully funded at our current level of coverage for 2018," Ropke said.
The agency recently referred two more shipping companies to the Danish Police.
However, it will not be naming the companies.
"We don't think it is our role to name companies as that can be seen as an extra penalty," she said.
But if the police choose to do so that is a different matter.
The contract for the bridge sniffer is up for renewal by the end of this year and will be put out for tender.
Since 2015, the sulfur cap in emission control areas (ECA) is set at 0.1% while from 2020, the global cap on bunker fuel outside ECA falls to 0.5%.
Bunker and shipping companies have raised concerns over a level playing being maintained once the regulations come into force.
Without effective compliance, unfair competitive practices could emerge, they say.
