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Q. MARPOL 73/78?
International Convention for the prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of
1978. Regulations covering the various sources of ship-generated pollution are contained in the six Annexes
of the Convention.
Annex – Description - W.E. F
I. Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by 0il- 02 Oct 1983
II. Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk- 06 Apr 1987
III. Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form- 01
Jul 1992
IV. Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships- 27 Sep 2003
V. Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage- 31 Dec 1988
VI. Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships- 19 May 2005
IOPP certificate (regulation 8): An International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate shall be issued for a
period specified by the Administration, which shall not exceed five years.
Discharge criteria of oil (REG. 9): (CARGO SPACE)
1.The tanker is not within a special area.
2.The tanker is more than 50 NM form the nearest land;
3.The tanker is proceeding enroute;
4.The instantaneous rate of discharge of oil content does not exceed 30 liters/NM;
5.The total quantity of oil discharged into the sea does not exceed 1/30,000 of the total quantity of the
particular cargo of which the residue formed a part.
6.The tanker has in operation an oil discharge monitoring and control system and a slop tank arrangement.
Machinery space bilges (other ships):
1.The ship is not within a special area;
2.The ship is proceeding enroute;
3.The oil content of the effluent without dilution does not exceed 15 PPM;
4.The ship has in operation ODMCS (up to 10,000GT) & Oil filtering equipment (more than 10,000 GT)
Special areas (REG. 10):
1.The Mediterranean Sea
2.The Baltic Sea
3.The Black Sea
4.The Red Sea
5.The Persian Gulf
6.The Gulf of Aden
7.The Antarctic Sea
8.The North-West European
9.Oman sea area of Arabian Sea (New)
Oil record book (REG. 20):
Every oil tanker of 150 GRT and above and every ship of 400 GRT and above other than an oil tanker shall
provide with an Oil Record Book Part I (Machinery Space Operations). Every oil tanker of 150 GRT and above
shall also be provided with an Oil Record Book Part II (cargo/ballast operations).
Part 1. for machinery space operations (all Ships)
1.Ballasting or cleaning of oil fuel tanks;
2.Discharge of dirty ballast or cleaning water from tanks;
3.Disposal of oily residues (sludge);
4.Discharge overboard or disposal otherwise of bilge water which is accumulated in machinery spaces;
Part II – for cargo/ballast operations (oil tankers):
1.Loading of oil cargo
2.Internal transfer of oil cargo during voyage;
3.Unloading of oil cargo
4.Ballasting of cargo tanks and dedicated clean ballast tanks;
5.Cleaning of cargo tanks including crude oil washing;
6.Discharge of ballast except from segregated ballast tanks;
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7.Discharge of water from slop tanks
8.Closing of all applicable valves or similar devices after slop tank discharge operations;
9.Closing of valves necessary for isolation of dedicated clean ballast tanks from cargo and stripping lines after
slop tank discharge operations;
10.Disposal of residues.
Shipboard oil pollution emergency plan (SOPEP): MARPOL 73/78,
Chapter IV– Prevention of pollution arising from an oil pollution incident, Regulation 26.
1. Every oil tanker of 150 tons gross tonnage and above and every ship other than an oil tanker of 400 tons
gross tonnage and above shall carry on board a shipboard oil pollution emergency plan approved by the
Administration. In the case of ships built before 4 Apr 1993 this requirement shall apply 24 months after that
date.
SOPEP shall be in accordance with organization and written in the working language of the master and
officers. The plan shall consist at least of:
●The procedure to be followed by the master or other persons having charge of the ship to report an oil
pollution incident, as per guidelines developed by the Organization.
●The list of authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of an oil pollution incident;
●A detailed description of the action to be taken immediately by persons on board to reduce or control the
discharge of oil following the incidents;
●The procedures and point of contact on the ship for co ordinating shipboard action with national and local
authorities in combating the pollution.
●SOPEP-summary flow chart:
SOPEP FLOW CHART
1.DISCHARGE OF OIL
Probable Actual
2.ASSESSMENT OF THE NATURE OF INCIDENT
3.ACTION REQUIRED
4.ALERT CREW MEMBERS
5.IDENTIFY SPILL SOURCE
6.SPILL ASSESSMENT
7.REPORTING 8.ACTION TO CONTROL DISCHARGE
By Master and / or designated Measure to minimize the escape of oil threat to the marine environment
crew member
9.WHEN TO REPORT Navigational measures Seamanship measures
All probable and actual spills *Alter course/position *Safety assessment and precaution
10.HOW TO REPORT and/or speed *Advice on priority countermeasures/
*By quickest means to coastal *Change of list and/or trim preventative measures
radio station *Anchoring *Damage stability & stress
*Designated ship movement *Setting aground considerations
reporting station or *Initiate towage *Ballasting / deballasting
*Rescue Co-ordination (at sea *Assess safe Haven *Internal cargo transfer operations
*By quickest available means to requirements *Emergency ship to ship transfer of
local authorities *Weather/tide/swell cargo and / or bunker
11.WHO TO CONTACT forecasting *Set up shipboard response for:
*Nearest coastal State *Slick monitoring -leak sealing
*Harbour and terminal operators *Record of events and -Fire fighting
(in port) communications taken -Handling of shipboard response
*Shipowner’s manager/P & I equipment (if avail).
insurer -etc.
*Head charterer; cargo owner
*Refer to contact lists
12.WHAT TO REPORT 13.STEPS TO INITIATE EXTERNAL
*Initial report RESPONSE
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*Follow-up reports *Refer to coastal Port State listings for
*Characteristics of oil spilled local assistance
*Cargo/ballast/bunker dispositions
*Weather and sea conditions
*Slick movement
*Assistance required:
-salvage
-Lightening capacity
-Mechanical equipment
-External strike team
-Chemical dispersant / degreasant
*Refer to ship interest contact list
*External clean-up resources required
*Q. WHAT IS SOPEP? WHAT ARE THE CONTENTS OF SOPEP? SOPEP EQUIPEMENTS?
SOPEP
●Shipboard Oil pollution Emergency plan. MARPOL Annex I, Reg. 37 (26)
●Every tanker 150 GRT & above and other than tanker 400 GRT & above must carry SOPEP.
Contents: -
1.The procedure to be followed by the master or other persons having charge of the ship to report an oil
pollution incident.
2.The list of authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of an oil pollution incident.
3.Control procedure: A detailed description of the action to be taken immediately by persons on board to
reduce or control the discharge of oil following the incident.
4.Coastal address: The procedure and point of contact on the ship for coordinating shipboard action with
national & local authorities in combating take action against the pollution.
5.Emergency control plan.
6.General Arrangement plan.
7.Fire plan.
SOPEP Equipment: -
1.Absorbent roll.
2.Absorbent pads.
3.Oil booms.
4.Walden pump.
5.Absorbent materials Line sawdust, sand etc.
6.Shovels, scrappers.
7.Absorbent granules.
8.Oil booms
9.Detergent
10.Sea clean
11.Dustpan
12.Garbage bag
13.Rubber squeeze
14.Mask
15.Chemical suit
SOPEP Plans
For easy reference the following plan must be included in SOPEP.
1.Principle particulars of the VSL
2.General arrangement plan
3.Capacity plan.
4.Midship section.
5.Shell expansion plan
6.Pumping arrangement.
*Q. C/E WANT TO DISCH. BILGES, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
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BILGE WATER DISCHARGE
2.7.1 According to MARPOL 73/78, Annex I, the discharge of oil or oily mixture from engine room bilges are
allowed if:
1.The bilge water has been processed through oil filtering equipment capable of monitoring the oil content
in the discharged wastewater mixture. The device should give an alarm if / when the oil content exceeds 15
PPM and then stop automatically the overboard discharge.
2.The bilge water does not originate from cargo – pump room bilges.
3.The bilge water is not mixed with oil cargo residues.
4.The ship is proceeding enroute.
5.The bilges do not contain any chemicals in sufficient quantities to harm the environment.
2.7.2 The above apply even if the vessel is within special areas as defined in MARPOL 73/78, Annex I. These
areas are considered environmentally more sensitive since they exhibit how water exchange, a wide variety
of marine life and usually have marine traffic.
Special Note: The Oil Record book must be properly filled in and signed as explicitly
described in MARPOL 73/78, Annex
Cargo record book (Annex II, REG. 9):
The Cargo Record Book shall be completed, on a tank-to-tank basis, whenever and of the following
operations with respect to a noxious liquid substance take place in the ship:
1.loading of cargo
2.Internal transfer of cargo;
3.Unloading of cargo
4.Cleaning of cargo tanks
5.Ballasting of cargo tanks
6.Discharge of ballast from cargo tanks
7.Disposal of residues to reception facilities;
8.Discharge into the sea or removal
Q. WHAT IS OIL DISPERSANT?
An oil dispersant is a mixture of emulsifiers and solvents that helps break oil into small droplets following
an oil spill. Small droplets are easier to disperse throughout a water volume, and small droplets may be more
readily biodegraded by microbes in the water.
Dispersants are chemicals that are sprayed on a surface oil slick to break down the oil into smaller droplets
that more readily mix with the water. Dispersants do not reduce the amount of oil entering the environment,
but push the effects of the spill underwater
*Q. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DETERGENT AND DISPERCENT?
Detergent Removes dirt, grease, debris and many germs by scrubbing with soap () and water.
Disinfectant Kills disease causing germs on surfaces. This process is accomplished with germicides or physical
agents such as high heat.
*Q. NEW AMMENDMENT TO MARPOL ANNEX V
Amendments to MARPOL Annex V (regulation for the prevention of pollution by garbage from ships)
The amendments to MARPOL Annex V adopted at MEPC 70 will enter into force on 1 March 2018. The
changes include criteria for determining whether cargo residues are harmful to the marine
environment, and a new Garbage Record Book format with a new garbage category for e -waste. This
news provides a summary of the new regulations.
Relevant for ship owners and managers.
The amendments to MARPOL Annex V adopted at MEPC 70 will enter into force on 1 March 2018. The
changes include criteria for determining whether cargo residues are harmful to the marine environment,
and a new Garbage Record Book format with a new garbage category for e-waste. This news provides a
summary of the new regulations.
The main amendments included in MARPOL Annex V, which was adopted at MEPC 70, cover:
Declaration of cargo residues
Cargo residues which are not harmful to the marine environment have less strict discharge requirements
than cargo residues which are harmful. Solid bulk cargo as per regulation VI/1-1.2 of SOLAS, other than
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grain, shall now be classified per the criteria in the new appendix I of MARPOL Annex V, and the shipper
shall then declare as to whether or not the cargo is harmful to the environment (HME).
Garbage Record Book
A new form of the Garbage Record Book (GRB) has been included in appendix II to MARPOL Annex V. The
GRB will be divided into two parts:
●Part I for all garbage other than cargo residues, applicable to all ships
●Part II for cargo residues only applicable to ships carrying solid bulk cargo
The GRB garbage categories have also been amended to include e-waste1), and the category for cargo
residues has been split into HME (harmful to the marine environment) and non-HME. The new garbage
category distribution will be as follows:
A. Plastics
B. Food waste
C. Domestic wastes
D. Cooking oil
E. Incinerator ashes
F. Operational waste
G. Animal carcasses
H. Fishing gear
I. E-waste
J. Cargo residues (non-HME)
K. Cargo residues (HME)
The GRB discharge table has also been revised, as both incineration start and stop date/time/position
shall be recorded. In addition, a new table is included for reporting exceptional discharge or loss of
garbage under regulation 7, also covering the reason for the discharge or loss, details thereof and
precautions taken.
The new GRB part II for solid bulk cargo residues includes entries for position or port, garbage category (J
or K), amount discharged to sea or reception facilities, and start and stop positions for sea discharge.
Along with the GRB, receipts obtained from receptions facilities will also be required to be kept on board
for at least two years.
Even though Annex V of MARPOL is mandatory for all ships, there are neither certification nor approval
requirements.
However, the following is required under MARPOL:
●Placards posted on board noting the discharge requirements 2)
●A Garbage Management Plan 3)
●A Garbage Record Book 4)
Finally, the current 2012 Guidelines for the implementation of MARPOL Annex V has been revoked by the
new 2017 Guidelines, aligning it with the MARPOL amendments and relevant requirements of the Polar
Code.
1)
E-waste means electrical and electronic equipment used for the normal operation of the ship or in the
accommodation spaces, including all components, sub-assemblies and consumables which are part of the
equipment at the time of discarding, with the presence of material potentially hazardous to human
health and/or the environment.
2)
Applicable to ships ≥12 m and fixed and floating platforms.
3)
Applicable to ships ≥100 GT or certified to carry 15 or more persons, and fixed and floating platforms.
4)
Applicable to ships ≥400 GT or certified to carry 15 or more persons, and fixed and floating platforms.
Recommendations
To ensure compliance prior to 1 March 2018, a Garbage Record Book with the new format should be
provided on board. Furthermore, placards and Garbage Management Plans should be revised as
necessary to satisfy the amendments to MARPOL Annex V.
Q. AMENDMENTS TO INTERNATIONAL OIL POLLUTION PREVENTION CERTIFICATE
Amendments to update Form B of the Supplement to the International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate, in
relation to segregated ballast tanks, also enter into force on 1 March 2018.
*Q. SULPHUR CAP 2020?
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In 2020 a new regulation for a 0.50% global sulphur cap for marine fuels will come into force. Under the new
global cap, all ships will have to use fuel on board with a sulphur content of no more than 0.50% against the
current limit of 3.50% in an effort to reduce the amount of sulphur oxide. The interpretation of “fuel oil used
on board” includes fuel used in main and auxiliary engines and boilers. The Emission Control Areas (ECAs) will
remain at the 2015 standard of 0.1% content.
Options for shipping companies
The responsibility to comply with the IMO regulation will fall to the shipping companies. They’ll need to
ensure their fleets meet the sulphur requirement in one of three possible ways:
●use compliant fuels, such as “very low Sulphur fuel oil” (0.5% VLSFO), ultra-low Sulphur fuel oil (0.1%
ULSFO) or Marine Gas Oil (0.1% MGO)
●Install scrubbers to burn compliant and non-compliant fuels using an exhaust gas cleaning system
●Use alternative fuels oils, such as LNG
Most ships in the industry are expected to go with the first option, and only a handful will use LNG. By the
end of the year, up to 2,000 ships may be retrofitted with scrubbers, according to market estimates — far
less than IMO’s prediction that 3,800 vessels would have scrubbers. That’s not a lot when you consider there
are about 100,000 ships floating around worldwide at the moment.
VLSFO OR Scrubber
VLSFO is the most logical choice since it does not require making technical changes to existing vessels. Also,
the price differential between VLSFO and MGO will encourage the use of this blended fuel, and its availability
will not be a problem. A scrubber installation, on the other hand, costs up to several million per ship, which
explains the low number of vessels taking this route. Also, the future availability of HFO380 is uncertain as
new types of fuel will become the standard then. Many carriers have decided to scrap older ships rather
than retrofit them.
Effect on freight rates by this regulation
Fuel prices will play a significant role in the rise of shipping rates, as a substantial part of a ship’s operating
cost is fuel. As a result, freight rates will also increase. By how much exactly will be dictated by the supply
and demand of the new types of fuel. Once the IMO regulation is in effect, low-sulphur fuel will be in high
demand and tight supply. The refining industry will have to alter its current product slate and increase the
supply of low-sulphur fuels, including blended fuels.
Cargo-owners preparation
While cargo-owners don’t need to make any changes to their cargo or booking process, they do need to
prepare for the inevitable price hikes. It is important to be in dialogue with its customers. It is crucial to be as
open and transparent as possible, because the long-running issue for cargo-owners is that, in many cases,
they believe these price hikes are merely revenue generating add-ons rather than justifiable cost recovery
measures.
*Q. HOW TO COMPLY MARPOL AT MALACCA AND SINGAPORE STRAIT?
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