Club Correspondents Pro-Marine Law Office, Taipei, have advised of the publication of further guidance concerning the early Implementation of the MARPOL sulphur cap in Taiwanese ports from 1st January 2019.
The guidance, issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), advises that from 1st January 2019 vessels entering international commercial port areas in Taiwan, shall utilize either fuel oil with a sulphur content of not more than 0.5% m/m by weight, or equivalent methods of emission reduction in accordance with the MARPOL Convention.
MARPOL Annex VI allows vessels to comply with the regulations by using either fuel oil with a sulphur content below the prescribed limit, by utilising a “fitting, material, appliance or apparatus” such as exhaust gas cleaning technology, or by “other procedures, alternative fuel oils or compliance methods” such as onboard blending of fuel oil or the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). When an alternative means of compliance is used it must be “at least as effective in terms of emission reductions as that required by this Annex”. Any alternative means of compliance with the regulations must be approved by the vessel’s Flag Administration.
The latest guidance, in both Chinese and English, includes details of the port limits within which vessels are to use low sulphur fuel oil, or equivalent methods of emission reduction.
Source:West of England P&I Club
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