SHIPPING: Environmental regulations.

Byline: S.KAMAL HAYDER KAZMI

Presently Shipping operates under a complex set of international and national regulations. Traditionally, the leaps in regulations have been event driven, and in some cases even driven through events outside the sector. A wellknown example is the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which resulted in the US Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and mandatory double hull design. While environmental regulations in the maritime industry have historically lagged behind those of other industries, this condition is now changing.

An increased focus on both worldwide and local environmental issues in general, combined with the growing realisation of the actual pollution burden imposed by shipping, has led to an upsurge in both international and national regulations. Some are ready for implementation and will enter into force in the near future, while others are still being developed and will have an impact only in the intermediate term. The Key issues having a significant regulatory impact this decade are the following.

From a "beyond 2020" perspective, there are a number of emerging issues that appear likely to result in regulatory initiatives: key among these are black carbon, hull bio-fouling and underwater noise.

SULPHUR OXIDES, NITROUS OXIDES AND PARTICULATE MATTER

SOx, NOx and PM are all emissions to air that result from the combustion of marine fuels. These emissions have potentially severe ecosystem impacts and negative health effects on exposed populations. These impacts have, in some parts of the world, led to strict regulation of emissions from land based sources. In recognition of shipping becoming a dominant emission source, potentially exceeding landbased sources, emissions have been internationally regulated by the IMO. MARPOL Annex VI states a combination of general maximum worldwide emission levels and more stringent levels applying to designated sea areas usually known as Emission Control Areas (ECAs).

The regulations permit emissions to be mitigated by either changing the fuel specification/type or by exhaust gas cleaning. By 2015, operators will have to choose between installing exhaust gas cleaning systems known as scrubbers or...