Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships
The following table is a proposed checklist for Owners preparing for the implementation of
Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78 and the initial survey to obtain the required International Air
Pollution Prevention (IAPP) Certificate.
19 May 2005 Annex VI to MARPOL entered into force. The revised Annex VI to MARPOL
was adopted by IMO on 10 October 2008.
The sulphur oxide (SOx) and Particulate Matter emissions from ships will in general be
controlled by setting a limit on the sulphur content of marine fuel oils as follows. The sulphur
content of any fuel oil used on board ships shall not exceed the following limits:
- 4.50% m/m prior to 1 January 2012
- 3.50% m/m on and after 1 January 2012
- 0.50% m/m on and after 1 January 2020
Requirements within Emission Control Areas
For the purpose of the regulation, Emission Control Areas shall include:
- The Baltic Sea area as defined in regulation 1.11.2 of Annex I, the North Sea as defined in
regulation 5(1)(f) of Annex V
- Any other sea area, including port areas, designated by the Organization in accordance with
criteria and procedures set forth in appendix III to this Annex While ships are operating within an
Emission Control Area, the sulphur content of fuel oil used on board ships shall not exceed the
following limits:
- 1.50% m/m prior to 1 July 2010
- 1.00% m/m on and after 1 July 2010
- 0.10% m/m on and after 1 January 2015
The sulphur content of fuel oil referred to in paragraph 1 and paragraph 4 of this regulation shall
be documented by its supplier as required by regulation 18 of this Annex.
Those ships using separate fuel oils to comply with paragraph 4 of the regulation and entering
or leaving an Emission Control
Tier I (current limits)
For diesel engines installed on ships constructed from 1 January 2000 to 1. January 2011
allowable emissions of total weighted NOx depending on engine speed, n, are:
17,0 g/kWh when n is less than 130 rpm
45,0 × n(-0,2) g/kWh when n is 130 or more but less than 2000 rpm
9,8 g/kWh when n is 2000 rpm or more
Tier II
For diesel engines installed on ships constructed on or after 1 January 2011 allowable
emissions of total weighted NOx
depending on engine speed, n, are:
- 14,4 g/kWh when n is less than 130 rpm
- 44,0 × n(-0,23) g/kWh when n is 130 or more but less than
- 2000 rpm
- 7,7 g/kWh when n is 2000 rpm or more
Tier III
Ships constructed on or after 1 January 2016 will have additional limitations when operating in
an Emission Control Area. For the purpose of NOx emissions no Emission Control
Areas (ECAs) have yet been designated, but it is expected that both the Baltic Sea and the
North Sea will be designated well ahead of 1 January 2016.
For Tier III ships operating in the NOx ECAs the allowable emissions of total weighted NOx
depending on engine speed, are:
- 3,4 g/kWh when n is less than 130 rpm
- 9,0 × n(-0,2) g/kWh when n is 130 or more but less than 2000 rpm
- 2,0 g/kWh when n is 2000 rpm or more
Tier III limits will not apply to engines installed on a ship with a length of less than 24 metres
when it is designed and used solely for recreational purposes, or an engine installed on a ship
with a combined nameplate diesel engine propulsion power of less than 750 kW if it is
demonstrated that the ship
cannot comply with the standards set forth in paragraph 5.1.1 of this regulation because of
design or construction limitations of the ship.
