At the IMO - Pollution prevention and response
Many aspects of maritime pollution regulation received detailed scrutiny at this week’s International Maritime Organization sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response.
The Secretary General of the IMO, His Excellency Arsenio Dominguez, opened the meeting with the welcome news that the crew of the MV Galaxy Leader, held in captivity off Yemen for over 14 months, were finally released last week.
The Russian delegation then made a statement regarding the breaking up and sinking of two small oil tankers, which foundered in the southern Kerch Strait on 15 December 2024. They were carrying about 9,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, of which 3,100 tons was spilt into the Black Sea. One seafarer died in the incident. The Russian delegation reported that a federal emergency has been declared to coordinate the clean-up operation, and also that a criminal investigation is under way.
The effectiveness of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) was examined in detail. A series of analytical papers submitted to the IMO highlight that under practical, seagoing, conditions EGCS are not performing to the expected standards of exhaust gas cleaning, which have often been demonstrated to a higher standard in shorebased or even laboratory conditions. Noting this lack of operational performance, various tightening of regulations is proposed in respect of both scrubbers and their washwater discharges. It was emphasised by many nations that any such regulation must not penalise ships that have fitted ECGS in good faith as to do so would disrupt the overall process of attempts to reduce emissions from ships and also undermine future trust in the IMO regulatory system. Further research work is required by the Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Pollution (GESAMP) before a final recommendation can be made.
The output of onboard sewage treatment plants (STPs) was examined, following studies showing that the overboard discharge of many plants exceeded their design parameters and permitted pollutant levels. Whilst future regulations will require output monitoring to ensure new-fit STP discharges remain MARPOL compliant, a proposal to require retro-fitting of output monitors to legacy STPs was not accepted. In our Nautical Institute intervention during this debate, we asked that specific consideration be given to the consequences on seafarer workload of any retrospective regulation requiring procurement of ad-hoc output monitoring systems which may, or may not, be integrated into a ship’s machinery control suite.
The debate on ‘polar fuels’, which are intended to reduce black carbon emissions in the Arctic, addressed some strategic issues of climate change followed by discussions regarding practical matters such as fuel availability, and also highly technical points regarding the relevance of cetane numbers, pour point, viscosity and (probably of most relevance) carbon residue content by mass. With some progress made on this subject, member states have been invited to make concrete proposals, supported by scientific studies, to the next sub-committee meeting.
More information from this meeting will be published in our monthly Journal, Seaways. The Nautical Institute continues to advocate for our members at all the IMO’s Committees and sub-Committees, with our delegation now turning their attention to the Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping sub-committee in two weeks’ time.