Bulletin 300: Emission Control Areas: China

EMISSION CONTROL AREAS – CHINA

Application: All ship-owners, operators, masters and officers of merchant ships and authorised Classification societies, Barbados Registrars and Nautical Inspectors

Further to Bulletin 284, it is advised that the Chinese government has implemented regulations limiting the sulphur content of fuel oils used on board ships to 0.5% within the following Emission Control Areas (ECAs): The Pearl River Delta, the Bohai Rim and the Yangtze River Delta. The Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration (MSA), the Jiangsu MSA and the Zhejiang MSA announced that, as of 1 October 2018, not only berthing ships but also navigating ships are required to use fuel oils in which sulphur content does not exceed 0.5%.

The outline of the regulation is as follows:

Applicable to ships voyaging, berthing and operating within the emission control areas excluding military ships, sports ships and ships involved in fishing.

Applicable date on or after 1 October 2018

For Shanghai MSA – ships navigating, anchoring or operating in Shanghai should use fuel oils which sulphur content does not exceed 0.5%. In addition, all ships installed with devices of receiving shore power should use shore power if such facilities are available in Shanghai.

For Jiangsu MSA – ships sailing into Suzhou or Nantong which are the core ports of Yangtze River Delta ECAs should use fuel oils in which sulphur content does not exceed 0.5%. In addition, ships installed with devices for receiving shore power should give priority to the use of shore power if such facilities are available in Suzhou and Nantong. Moreover, between 29 October 2018 and 11 November 2018, ships installed with devices for receiving shore power should use shore power if such facilities are available in Suzhou, Wuxi, Nantong and Changzhou.

For Zhejiang MSA – ships navigating to Ningbo or Zhoushan should use fuel oils in which sulphur content does not exceed 0.5% when operating within the Yangtze River Delta ECA. In addition, ships installed with devices for receiving shore power should give priority to the use of shore power if such facilities are available in Ningbo, Zhoushan or Jiaxing Port. Between 29 October 2018 and 11 November 2018, ships installed with devices for receiving shore power should in principle use shore power if such facilities are available in Jiaxing.