MEDITERRANEAN SEA: EMISSION CONTROL AREA (ECA). SULPHUR OXIDES (SOx) AND PARTICULATES

Published: 9 January 2023

In December 2022 the 79th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 79) adopted amendments to designate the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, as an Emission Control Area (ECA) for Sulphur Oxides (SOx) and particulate matter, under MARPOL Annex VI. In such an Emission Control Area, the limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships is 0.10% mass by mass (m/m), while outside these areas the limit is 0.50% m/m.

The amendment is expected to enter into force on 1 May 2024, with the new sulphur limit taking effect from 1 May 2025. A summary of the MEPC 79 decisions is available on the IMO website.

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