News

MEPC 280(70) decided, after the assessment of fuel oil availability that the fuel oil standard (0.50% m/m) shall become effective on 1 January 2020. This means that outside the special areas, ships should use low sulphur fuels (max. 0.5%S) or alternative fuels such as LNG, LPG, methanol etc., or use exhaust gas cleaning systems in combination with high sulphur fuels (as long that the systems meets the 0.5%S requirements.

The Ballast Water Management Convention, entering into force on September 8, 2017, requires seagoing vessels to install a ballast water treatment system on board. By treating ballast water, which is taken in for safety and navigational reasons, shipowners try to prevent the introduction of alien invasive species that destroy local ecosystems in ports and coastal areas, where they pump the ballast water overboard.

MEPC 71 reached a highly anticipated compromise agreement on compliance dates for ballast water discharge and on implementation dates for the so-called D-2 discharge standard.

At least 27% of the energy consumed in the European Union by 2030, should come from renewable energy. One of the possibilities next to wind energy, sun panels, tidal energy etc. is the increased use of biofuels in mineral oils. (See the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources Com (2016) 767 final of 30.11.2016.

A large attended general assembly was held in Lisbon. Participants discussed a whole day about the future of our association resulting in a sharper mission statement, vision, ethics code, and best practices.