CANADA has imposed the requirement that sulphur content in marine fuel does not exceed 0.1 per cent inside the North American Emission Control Area (NA-ECA) and throughout Canadian waters south of 60 North under the Vessel Pollution and Dangerous Chemicals Regulations, starting from January 1.
Canada imposes low sulphur fuel rule in its emission control areaCANADA has imposed the requirement that sulphur content in marine fuel does not exceed 0.1 per cent inside the North American Emission Control Area (NA-ECA) and throughout Canadian waters south of 60 North under the Vessel Pollution and Dangerous Chemicals Regulations, starting from January 1.
According to a Ship Safety Bulletin issued by Transport Canada's Marine Safety Directorate, the sulphur content of fuel in waters outside of the NA-ECA, 60 North, including Hudson's Bay, James Bay and Ungava Bay, has fallen to 0.5 per cent under the MARPOL Convention down from 3.5 per cent.
Vessels over 400 gross tonnage are required by the regulations to carry bunker delivery notes, which stipulate the sulphur content of fuel delivered to the vessel.
In line with MARPOL regulations, these notes are required to include details about the marine fuel oil supplier, product name(s) and quantity, and a declaration signed and certified by the supplier that the fuel oil complies with all relevant rules, plus samples of the fuel are to be kept on board.
As an alternative to the reduced 0.1 per cent sulphur content in fuel inside emission control areas around the world, the regulations allow for compliance to be in accordance with the International Maritime Organisation guidelines for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems, Resolution MEPC.184(59).
Compliance with the sulphur content standards is to be determined by the ratio of sulphur dioxide to carbon dioxide in the vessel's exhaust.
