UN Convention imposes higher oil costs on ship operators
Since May 2006 all ships trading on the Baltic Sea have been obliged to use only low sulphur fuel oil.
Also the North Sea has been adopted as SECA area. The entry into force date for the North Sea SECA amendment is August 11 2007.
Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships were adopted in the United Nations 1997 Protocol to MARPOL 73/78 and are included in Annex VI of the Convention.
MARPOL Annex VI sets limits on sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from ship exhausts and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances.
Annex VI contains provisions allowing for special SOx Emission Control Areas (SECAS) to be established with more stringent controls on sulphur emissions. In these areas, the sulphur content of fuel oil used onboard ships must not exceed 1.5% m/m. Both the Baltic Sea Area and the North Sea are designated as SOx Emission Control areas in the Protocol.
The implementation of the Marpol Convention is leading to considerable increases of the fuel costs for the vessels operating in the designated areas and as a consequence a SECA surcharge was introduced in May 2006 in the Baltic Sea Area to partially cover this extraordinary expense. Likewise a SECA surcharge applicable as of August 1 2007 is introduced in the North Sea Area.
Until further notice the SECA surcharges amount to:
The Baltic Sea Area: 3,10 %
The North Sea Area: 1,63 %
For further information please visit: Imo.org