SHIP owners and operators must submit their data collection plans to verifiers by September 1 to ensure timely verification, according to a reminder from Verifavia Shipping, a major emissions verification company for the aviation and shipping sectors.
The IMO Data Collection System (IMO DCS) which came into force on March 1, 2018, requires ships of 5,000 gross tonnage or above to collect and report data on fuel consumption, distance sailed, and hours underway to an IMO database from 2019.
During the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee's (MEPC) recent 72nd session, which took place on April 9-13, 2018, in London, the committee agreed that shipping companies must be encouraged to submit the SEEMP Part II to their respective Flag Administration or duly authorised organisation by September 1, 2018, to ensure timely verification.
The committee also approved a sample format for the confirmation of compliance that certifies that the ship has a Data Collection Plan (DCP) in place within the SEEMP Part II, which complies with the IMO requirements. This should enable easy and efficient compliance with the regulation.
Julien Dufour, CEO, Verifavia Shipping, commented: 'We're encouraging ship owners and operators to submit their DCPs against the IMO's recommended deadline to ensure timely verification. As the IMO DCS largely flows from the EU MRV regulation, the reality is that the process for compliance should be relatively easy and straightforward. If shipowners comply with EU MRV, they are also likely to comply with the IMO DCS.'
Aiming to eliminate unhelpful misunderstandings currently hindering compliance, Mr Dufour added: 'There continues to be a common and unhelpful misconception that data must be submitted to the verifier in a certain format, or that data should be generated from a verifier's software, which goes beyond regulatory requirements. This is placing an unnecessary burden on shipowners and operators. If the content submitted to the verifier fulfils the requirements, the format of the data is largely irrelevant.'
The IMO Data Collection System (IMO DCS) which came into force on March 1, 2018, requires ships of 5,000 gross tonnage or above to collect and report data on fuel consumption, distance sailed, and hours underway to an IMO database from 2019.
During the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee's (MEPC) recent 72nd session, which took place on April 9-13, 2018, in London, the committee agreed that shipping companies must be encouraged to submit the SEEMP Part II to their respective Flag Administration or duly authorised organisation by September 1, 2018, to ensure timely verification.
The committee also approved a sample format for the confirmation of compliance that certifies that the ship has a Data Collection Plan (DCP) in place within the SEEMP Part II, which complies with the IMO requirements. This should enable easy and efficient compliance with the regulation.
Julien Dufour, CEO, Verifavia Shipping, commented: 'We're encouraging ship owners and operators to submit their DCPs against the IMO's recommended deadline to ensure timely verification. As the IMO DCS largely flows from the EU MRV regulation, the reality is that the process for compliance should be relatively easy and straightforward. If shipowners comply with EU MRV, they are also likely to comply with the IMO DCS.'
Aiming to eliminate unhelpful misunderstandings currently hindering compliance, Mr Dufour added: 'There continues to be a common and unhelpful misconception that data must be submitted to the verifier in a certain format, or that data should be generated from a verifier's software, which goes beyond regulatory requirements. This is placing an unnecessary burden on shipowners and operators. If the content submitted to the verifier fulfils the requirements, the format of the data is largely irrelevant.'