News

China – Guidelines for Supervision and Management of Air Pollutant Emissions from Ship (issued by China MSA in December 2019)

21 January 2020 No.1053
Download PDF(1,581KB)

The Maritime Safety Agency in China issued "Guidelines for Monitoring and Managing Air Pollutant Emissions from Ships". We have obtained the Guidelines of which free translations by our correspondents Huatai Insurance Agency & Consultant Service Ltd. This guideline contains a wide range of information, the PSC procedures, Sampling and test of fuel oil in use and on board, Inspection of exhaust gas cleaning system as alternative measures, fines and Fuel Oil Non-Availability Report. Please refer to the correspondent’s circular attached for more details.

In addition, members are kindly requested to obtain more advice from their local agents in China and comply with their advice in case of actual navigations or anchoring in the emission control area of China.

 

Outline

 

  1. Monitoring Vessel

The Maritime Authorities can preliminarily screen vessels suspected of using fuel oil with sulfur content exceeding the standard through vessel exhaust monitoring and AIS system etc. Vessels with illegal emission records and vessels suspected of exceeding the oil sulfur content in fuel oil through exhaust monitoring will be the key inspection objects.

 

  1. PSC procedures (Port State Control procedure)

Please refer to the PSC guidelines issued by IMO, (IMO Resolution A.1119 (30)and MEPC 321 (74)). The management status of certificates, documents, records, and storage of stored sample fuels specified in Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention will be checked. If any doubts arise, the test will proceed to a fuel oil sample analysis test as a detailed inspection.

 

  1. Sampling and test of fuel oil in use and on board
  1. If the preliminary Rapid test result exceeds 10% of the standard, the procedure is recommended to send it to the laboratory for testing, and require the vessel to issue the letter of guarantee before departure.
  2. The sulfur content test results shall refer to the requirements in the table below in accordance with “IMO MEPC1 / CIRC.882

 

Applicable limit of sulfur content % m/m:V

Test Margin:W

Test result : Z

Z<=V

V<Z<=W

Z>W

0.10

0.11

Met the requirement

Met the requirement

Not met the requirement

0.50

0.53

Result “Z” reported to 2 decimal places

 

  1. Inspection of exhaust gas cleaning system as alternative measures
  1. The exhaust gas emission compliance of the exhaust gas cleaning system is verified in accordance with “IMO MEPC.259 (68)”; (1) functioning and record of washing water continuous monitoring system (2) monitoring parameter data of PH value, PAH value and turbidity etc.
  2. The vessel is checked whether the vessel has discharged the washing water of the open exhaust gas cleaning system in the emission control area of China.

 

  1. Fines

The local Maritime Authorities shall impose a fine of not less than CNY10,000 but not more than CNY100,000 depending on the violation.

 

  1. Fuel Oil Non-Availability Report (FONAR)
  1. The vessel shall make and submits the FONAR in accordance with “IMO MEPC.320(74)” 24 hours before the arrival of the vessel in China's jurisdiction waters.
  2. In case of any of the following circumstances, the Maritime Authorities shall focus on inspection:
    1. Submit FONAR for many times within one year;
    2. Call at ports with insufficient supply capacity of compliant fuel oil for a long period;
    3. The submitted materials are incomplete, and are insufficient to demonstrate that the compliance fuel oil is not available;
    4. The submitted materials do not conform to the actual situation or there is fraud.