IMO approves draft amendments to prohibit the use of HFO by ships in Arctic waters

23 November 2020

The IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee, in its 75^th session (MEPC 75) held virtually on 16-20 November 2020, approved draft amendments to MARPOL Annex I (addition of a new regulation 43A) to introduce a prohibition on the use and carriage for use as fuel of heavy fuel oil (HFO) by ships in Arctic waters. The draft amendments are scheduled for adoption at MEPC 76 scheduled for June 2021.

The prohibition would cover the use and carriage for use as fuel of oils having a density at 15°C higher than 900 kg/m³ or a kinematic viscosity at 50°C higher than 180 mm²/s. The HFO prohibition would become effective from 1 July 2024, however, a number of exceptions and waivers would apply:

• Ships engaged in securing the safety of ships, or in search and rescue operations, and ships dedicated to oil spill preparedness and response would be exempted.
• Ships which meet certain construction standards with regard to oil fuel tank protection (ships with oil fuel tanks located inside the double hull) would need to comply from 1 July 2029.
• Countries with a coastline bordering Arctic waters may waive the requirements for ships flying its flag while operating in their respective waters, up to 1 July 2029. After that date, exemptions and waivers would no longer be applicable.

These exemptions have been criticized by NGOs and other groups that have been campaigning to ban HFO from Arctic shipping. The Clean Arctic Alliance called the MEPC amendments a “ban ridden with loopholes (...) that would leave the Arctic, its Indigenous communities and its wildlife facing the risk of a HFO spill for another decade”.

Currently, a MARPOL regulation adopted in 2011 prohibits the use or carriage of heavy grade oils on ships in the Antarctic waters. However, commercial shipping in the Antarctic is rather limited, while the use of HFO in the Arctic has been steeply increasing. According to an analysis by the ICCT, HFO use in the Arctic grew 75% between 2015 and 2019.

MEPC 76 also discussed a number of other issues, including:

• Draft new regulations to reduce the carbon intensity of existing ships have been approved, with a view for adoption at MEPC 76. These amendments—build on the measures currently applicable to new ships, based on the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI)—introduce new technical requirements to reduce carbon intensity based on a new Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI); and the operational carbon intensity reduction requirements based on a new operational carbon intensity indicator (CII).
• The MEPC adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex VI to strengthen the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) “phase 3” requirements, with expected entry into force date of 1 April 2022.
• The Committee approved the Fourth IMO GHG Study 2020 that contains an overview of GHG emissions from shipping over 2012-2018, developments in carbon intensity, and emission projections towards 2050. The Fourth IMO GHG Study, released in August, projects that GHG emissions from shipping would reach 90-130% of 2008 emissions by 2050 for a range of economic and energy scenarios. These GHG projections are in contrast to the official IMO target to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008.
• Amendments have been adopted to MARPOL Annex VI definition of sulfur content of fuel oil and sampling methods.

Source: IMO