EMEA News
New Research Sheds Light on ECA Compliance
Some shipping companies are repeat offenders while the rate of compliance varies across the North and Baltic Sea emission control area (ECA), new research has shown.
Ships transiting the ECA, where sulfur in bunker fuel is capped at 0.1%, risk being fined if caught breaking the rule. Research by Sweden's Chalmers University shows that compliance rates across the region vary form 87% to 98%.
The lower rate (87%) applies to the western part of the English Channel which is near the ECA border while the Gothenburg approaches show the higher rate of compliance.
In addition to variation across the ECA, vessel ownership also throws up differences.
"We can see differences in how the regulations are followed depending on who owns the vessels," said lead researcher Johan Mellqvist. A few shipping companies seem repeatedly to use non-compliant fuel, he added.
Other observations flowing from the research include infrequent visitors breaking the rule "more frequently" while there is a tendency for ships to be non-compliant when leaving the ECA.
"Vessels that only rarely come into these waters break the rules more frequently," said Mellqvist.
"In addition, it's more common that vessels emit excessive sulphur as they are leaving the SECA rather than on the way in, when they risk an on-board inspection.
"Some ships that have installed abatement technology for sulphur, so called scrubbers, have been observed with high levels on multiple occasions."
Compliance by shipping with the 0.1% ECA sulfur cap is seen as an indication of how the coming global 0.5% sulfur cap on bunker fuel will be adhered to.
