Statutory Alert: IMO fuel oil consumption data collection system Applicability: Owners and operators of ships that are subject to air emission controls under MARPOL Annex VI
Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI requiring mandatory fuel oil consumption data collection and reporting have been adopted. These will enter into force on 1 March 2018, with the first reporting period being for the 2019 calendar year.
IMO has previously agreed to address ship energy efficiency through a three-step approach:
Data collection
Data analysis
Deciding on what further measures, if any, are required
The recent IMO MEPC 70 meeting worked on the data collection stage and adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, Chapter 4. These mean that:
Ships of 5,000 GT and above will be required to submit to their Administration annual reports on fuel consumption and transport work parameters, via a methodology to be included in the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP).
Upon verification of the submitted data, the Administrations will issue to the ships a Statement of Compliance related to fuel oil consumption.
Finally, the Administrations will submit aggregate data to the IMO, which will maintain an anonymised IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database.
Ships will need to use a standardised reporting format, developed by the IMO, to submit data on:
Identity of the ship • IMO number
Technical characteristics of the ship • ship type • gross tonnage (GT) • net tonnage (NT) • deadweight tonnage (DWT) • power output (rated power) of main and auxiliary reciprocating internal
combustion engines over 130 kW (kW) • Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) (if applicable) • Ice class (if applicable)
Fuel oil consumption, by fuel oil type, in metric tonnes, and methods used for collecting fuel oil consumption data
Distance travelled
Hours under way
Shipowners and operators will need to start considering the means for collecting the fuel oil consumption data that is most appropriate for each ship and updating the SEEMPs of their ships to reflect this process.
Additional IMO guidance
MEPC 70 adopted the text of a resolution on 2016 Guidelines for the development of a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), which supersedes the 2012 Guidelines (MEPC.213(63)) and is expected to be published by December 2016.
The IMO is also developing Draft Guidelines for Administration data verification procedures in order to assist Administrations with the verification of the reported data and the issuance of the Statement of Compliance. MEPC 71 (May 2017) is expected to finalise and adopt these guidelines.
