IBIA Defends Scrubbers Against 'One Size Fits All' Washwater Policy at IMO

Einemo is Ibia's IMO representative as well as its director. Image Credit: Ibia

The International Bunker Industry Association (Ibia) has warned International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states of the risks of imposing a universal policy on open-loop scrubber washwater discharge that ignores local conditions.

At the Subcommittee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) on Monday Ibia director Unni Einemo highlighted a Japanese proposal to develop guidelines for environmental impact assessments on scrubber washwater, noting a concern that not enough evidence has been given for open-loop discharge bans in some cases.

Open-loop scrubbers, or exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS), discharge their washwater directly into the sea, prompting concerns about their environmental impact.

"Japan's proposal addresses the concern about states taking unilateral decisions to prohibit discharges from open loop EGCS without providing scientific justification," Einemo said at the meeting.

"We cannot prevent states from making such decisions, in the same way as we see states imposing local restrictions on air emissions without going through the procedure to set up an ECA under MARPOL Annex VI.

"However, by following Japan's proposal, we would at least have the right tools at our disposal."

"Conditions in ports and coastal waters vary greatly, meaning the potential impact of discharges from EGCS is not uniform either," Einemo added.

"If we attempt to harmonise local rules on discharges, we might end up with a "one size fits all" policy when in fact, that risks being too restrictive for some ports and coastal areas and not restrictive enough for others."