Ship Energy, BWMS, Recycling on MEPC Agenda

The IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meets for its 65th session from 13 to 17 May 2013, at IMO HQ in London.

Items on a busy agenda include the implementation of energy-efficiency regulations and the ballast water management and ship-recycling treaties.

Further guidelines on energy-efficiency measures for ships to be considered
The MEPC is expected to continue its work on further developing technical and operational measures relating to energy-efficiency measures for ships, following the entry into force, on   January 2013, of the new chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI, which includes requirements mandating the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), for all ships.

The Committee will review draft guidance developed by a correspondence group, including:
• draft guidelines for determining minimum propulsion power to maintain the manoeuvrability of ships in adverse conditions;
• draft guidance on treatment of innovative energy-efficiency technologies for calculation and verification of the attained EEDI;
• draft guidelines for the calculation of the coefficient fw for decrease in ship speed in a representative sea condition.

Resolution on technical cooperation for energy efficiency measures to be discussed, and Draft NOx Technical Code amendments are also to be considered.

Ballast water management systems up for approval
The MEPC will consider the reports of the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth meetings of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection (GESAMP) Ballast Water Working Group (held during 2012-2013), with a view to granting Basic Approval to three, and Final Approval to four, ballast water management systems that make use of Active Substances.

Recycling of ships – hazardous materials inventory to be reviewed
The MEPC is expected to further discuss the development of threshold values and exemptions applicable to the materials to be listed in inventories of hazardous materials taking into account the outcome of a correspondence group, and to consider the need to amend, accordingly, the 2011 Guidelines for the development of the inventory of hazardous materials, required under the treaty.

Click here for full details of the agenda.