Revoked by MEPC.326(75)
Resolution MEPC.192(61)
Adopted on 1 October 2010
2010 GUIDELINES FOR MONITORING THE
WORLDWIDE AVERAGE SULPHUR CONTENT OF FUEL OILS SUPPLIED FOR USE ON BOARD SHIPS
THE
MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE,
RECALLING Article 38(a) of the
Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the function
of the Marine Environment Protection Committee conferred upon it by
international conventions for the prevention and control of marine pollution,
RECALLING ALSO that revised MARPOL
Annex VI entered into force on 1 July 2010,
RECALLING FURTHER resolution MEPC.183(59) by
which the Committee adopted the 2009 Guidelines for monitoring the worldwide average
sulphur content of residual fuel oils supplied for use on board ships,
NOTING that regulation 14.2 of the
revised MARPOL Annex VI requires monitoring of the worldwide average sulphur
content of residual fuel oil supplied for use on board ships, taking into
account guidelines developed by the Organization,
RECOGNIZING the need to revise the
2009 Guidelines for monitoring the worldwide average sulphur content of
residual fuel oils supplied for use on board ships, to expand the monitoring
programme to all petroleum fuel types covered by the revised MARPOL Annex VI,
HAVING CONSIDERED the 2010
Guidelines for monitoring the worldwide average sulphur content of fuel oils
supplied for use on board ships prepared by the Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and
Gases at its fourteenth session,
1. ADOPTS the 2010 Guidelines for
monitoring the worldwide average sulphur content of fuel oils supplied for use
on board ships, as set out in the Annex to the present resolution;
2. URGES Member Governments and interested
organizations to make available the resources and expertise necessary for the
implementation of the Guidelines from 1 January 2011; and
3. REVOKES the Guidelines adopted by
resolution MEPC.183(59),
as from this date.
ANNEX
2010 GUIDELINES FOR MONITORING THE
WORLDWIDE AVERAGE SULPHUR CONTENT OF FUEL OILS SUPPLIED FOR USE ON BOARD SHIPS
Preface
1 The primary objective of the
Guidelines is to establish an agreed method to monitor the average sulphur
content of fuel oils supplied for use on board ships taking into account the
different sulphur limits as required by regulation 14 of the revised MARPOL
Annex VI.
Introduction
2 The basis for these Guidelines is
provided in regulation 14.2 of the revised Annex VI of MARPOL and in Conference
Resolution 4 (in MP/CONF.3/35), on monitoring the worldwide average sulphur
content of residual fuel supplied for use on board ships, and document MEPC
59/24. Among the emissions addressed by Annex VI are emissions resulting from
the combustion of fuel oils containing sulphur. An upper limit for the sulphur
content of fuel oils was set and it was further decided to monitor the average
sulphur content of fuel oils. Monitoring of the worldwide average sulphur
content of distillate fuel supplied for use on board ships is not specified in
regulation 14.2 of the Annex VI. However, in the meantime, it was agreed to
monitor the average sulphur content of distillate fuel.
3 The independent testing companies
analyse over 100,000 samples annually, which cover between 25% and 35% of all
deliveries. From the data gathered by these testing services, the current
average figures for the sulphur content of residual fuels can be derived. These
figures are publicized regularly and are currently in the order of 2.4% by mass1.
Definitions
4 For the purpose of these Guidelines
the following definitions should apply:
.1 Residual fuel:
Fuel oil for combustion purposes
delivered to and used on board ships with a kinematic viscosity at 40˚C
greater than 11.00 centistokes2 (mm2/s).
.2 Distillate fuel:
Fuel oil for combustion purposes delivered to and used on board
ships with a kinematic viscosity at 40˚C lower than or equal to 11.00
centistokes2 (mm2/s).
_______________
1
See document MEPC 61/4.
2
Reference is made to ISO Standard 8217, 2010.
.3 Provider of sampling and testing
services:
A company that, on a commercial
basis, provides testing and sampling services of bunker fuels delivered to
ships for the purpose of assessing quality parameters of these fuels, including
the sulphur content.
.4 Reference value Awr:
The value of the worldwide average
sulphur content in residual fuels supplied for use on board ships, based on the
first three years of data collected and as determined on the basis of
paragraphs 5 to 11 of these Guidelines.
.5 Reference value Awd:
The value of the worldwide average
sulphur content in distillate fuels supplied for use on board ships, based on
the first three years of data collected and as determined on the basis of
paragraphs 5 to 11 of these Guidelines.
Monitoring
and calculation of yearly and three-year rolling averages
Monitoring
5 Monitoring should be based on
calculation of average sulphur content of residual and distillate fuels on the
basis of sampling and testing by independent testing services. Every year the
average sulphur content of residual and distillate fuels should be calculated.
After three years the reference value for monitoring will be set as described
in paragraph 11.
Calculation
of yearly averages
6 At the basis of monitoring is the
calculation, on an annual basis, of the average sulphur content of residual and
distillate fuel.
7 The calculation of the average
sulphur content is executed as follows:
For
a certain calendar year, the sulphur contents of the samples analysed3
(one sample for each delivery of which the sulphur content is determined by
fuel oil analysis) are recorded. The sulphur contents of the samples analysed
are multiplied by the corresponding mass of fuel oils added up and then divided
by the total mass of bunker analysed. The outcome of that division is the
average sulphur content of residual and distillate fuels for that year.
________________
3
Reference is made to ISO Standard 8754, 2003.
8 As a basis for well-informed
decisions a graphical representation of the distribution of the global sulphur
content plotted against the quantity of fuel oils associated with each
incremental sulphur content range should be made available by 31 January of
each year:
.1 residual fuels: in terms of the %
sulphur in increments of 0.5% sulphur;
.2 distillate fuel for sulphur content
below 0.5%: in terms of the % sulphur in increments of 0.1%; and
.3 distillate fuels for sulphur content
above 0.5%: in terms of the % sulphur in increments of 0.5%.
9 The mathematical formula for the
method of calculation described is given in the appendix to these Guidelines.
Three-year
rolling average
10 A three-year rolling average should be
calculated as follows:
Acr = (Ac1 + Ac2
+ Ac3)/3
in
which:
Acr = rolling average
S-content of all deliveries tested over a three-year period
Ac1, Ac2, Ac3
= individual average S-contents of all deliveries tested for each year under
consideration
Acr is to be recalculated
each year by adding the latest figure for Ac and deleting the
oldest.
For the calculation of yearly
average of distillate fuels, any fuel oils less than 0.05% of sulphur should be
calculated as 0.03%.
Setting
of the reference values
11 The reference value of the world wide
average sulphur content of residual and distillate fuels supplied for use on
board ships should be Awx, where x=r, rECA, d, dECA
and Awx = Acr as calculated in January of the year
following the first three years in which data were collected on the basis of
these Guidelines. Aw should be expressed as a percentage.
Providers
of sampling and testing services
12 There are presently three providers of
sampling and testing services under these Guidelines.
13 Any additional providers of sampling
and testing services will be approved by the MEPC in accordance with the
following criteria:
.1 be subject to the approval of the Marine
Environment Protection Committee, which should apply these criteria;
.2 be provided with a technical and
managerial staff of qualified professionals providing adequate geographical
coverage and local representation to ensure quality services in a timely
manner;
.3 provide services governed by a
documented Code of Ethics;
.4 be independent as regards commercial
interest in the outcome of monitoring;
.5 implement and maintain an
internationally recognized quality system, certified by an independent auditing
body, which ensures reproducibility and repeatability of services which are
internally audited, monitored and carried out under controlled conditions;
.6 take a significant number of samples on
an annual basis for the purpose of globally monitoring average sulphur content
of residual and distillate fuels.
Standardized
method of calculation
14 Each of the providers of sampling and
testing services should provide the necessary information for the calculation
of the average sulphur content of the residual and distillate fuels to the
Secretariat of IMO or another agreed third party on the basis of a mutually
agreed format, approved by MEPC. This party will process the information and
will provide the outcome in the agreed format to MEPC. From the viewpoint of
competitive positions the information involved should be considered sensitive.
APPENDIX
CALCULATION OF AVERAGE SULPHUR CONTENT BASED ON
QUANTITY
Note: wherever "all
deliveries" are mentioned, this is meant to refer to all deliveries
sampled and tested for sulphur and being taken into account for the purpose of
monitoring.