The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the Resolution MEPC.282(70) on 28th October 2016 with amendments to chapter 4 of Annex VI of MARPOL, adding a new Regulation 22A on Collection And Reporting Of Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Data and new appendices covering Information to be submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database. The new mandatory Fuel Oil Data Collection System applies to international shipping and is requiring ships above 5,000 gross tonnage to start collecting and reporting fuel consumption data to IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database from 2019.

 

These amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 March 2018, under the tacit acceptance procedure with the first reporting period being for the 2019 calendar year.

 

By virtue of these amendments,

•    Ships with 5.000 GT and above will have to start collecting data on fuel consumption and transport work from 2019 according to the Methodology set out in the Ship Energy Efficiency Monitoring Plan (SEEMP) and submit the relative annual reports to their Flag Administration,

•    New (2016) Guidelines for the Development of a Ship Energy Efficiency Monitoring Plan (SEEMP) were adopted with Resolution MEPC.282(70) which superseded the 2012 SEEMP Guidelines; the SEEMP of the vessels will have to be updated before 2019,

•    Aggregated data on fuel consumption will be reported to the ship’s flag State after the end of each calendar year,

•    Upon verification of the submitted data, the Administrations will issue to the ships a Statement of Compliance related to fuel oil consumption,

•    The Administrations will submit aggregated data to IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database for anonymized publication.

 

Ship-owners 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.

 

Ship-owners and operators whose vessels call EU ports have to consider also the EU MRV regulations which will enter into force this year, for undertaking the appropriate actions for compliance with these requirements as well.

 

Find here the IMO Resolution MEPC.278(70) - 2016 Guidelines for the development of SEEMP as adopted at MEPC.70, for further information.

 

Additionally, 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 (July 2017) is expected to finalize and adopt these guidelines.