The 79th session of the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is meeting this week to tackle a number of bunker-related issues.

ISWG-GHG 13: A key topic at MEPC 79 as regards the reduction of GHG emissions from ships will be discussions related to the report of the 13th sessions of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 13), which met last week and covered both the revision of the Initial IMO GHG Strategy (towards adopting an updated Strategy in mid-2023 at MEPC 80) and the implementation of mid-term measures to incentivize the move away from fossil fuels to low- and zero-carbon fuels.

• The IWSG-GHG 13 is to report on its progress in advancing towards a 'basket' of candidate mid-term measures. And MEPC 79 will also have for consideration a number of proposals and comments on the revision of the Initial IMO GHG Strategy.

Life cycle GHG/carbon intensity guidelines: The MEPC is expected to consider the development of the draft guidelines on life cycle GHG intensity of marine fuels. At ISWG-GHG 11 in March, the working group agreed that the technical lifecycle guidelines would cover the lifecycle assessment (LCA) method, which refers to the assessment of GHG emissions from fuel production to the ship (well-to-wake).

• Well-to-wake results from the combination of well-to-tank emissions (from primary production to carriage of the fuel in a ship's tank, also known as upstream emissions) and tank-to-wake emissions (or tank-to propeller, also known as downstream emissions), from the ship's fuel tank to the exhaust.

IMO DCS: MEPC 79 will discuss the revision of the IMO Data Collection System (IMO DCS), which collects and reports fuel oil consumption data from ships.

• It will look into possible changes of the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) reporting module, including enhanced transparency and additional reporting parameters following discussions at ISWG-GHG 13 and ISWG-GHG 11.
• The MEPC will consider fuel oil consumption data submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database in GISIS.
• Under amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, which entered into force in March 2018, ships of 5,000 gt and above are required to collect consumption data for each type of fuel oil they use. Aggregated data is reported to the flag state after the end of each calendar year, and the flag state then issues a Statement of Compliance to the ship and transfers this data to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database within GISIS.
• Regulation 22A states that IMO's Secretariat will provide an annual summary report on the data collected to MEPC, while "parties" (governments that have ratified MARPOL Annex VI) will have access to the data in an anonymized format.

EEDI: The MEPC will consider a proposed amendment to the 2018 Guidelines on the method of calculation of the Attained Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for new ships; and the report of the Correspondence Group on the Possible Introduction of EEDI Phase 4.

• The Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) was made mandatory for new ships in July 2011. It requires a minimum energy efficiency level per capacity mile (grams of CO2 per tonne mile) for different ship types and sizes. New ship designs need to meet the reference level for their ship type. The level is to be tightened incrementally every five years to stimulate continued innovation.
• The regulation requires most new ships to be 10% more efficient by 2015, 20% more efficient by 2020 and 30% more efficient from 2025. The CO2 reduction level is calculated using the average efficiency for ships built between 2000 and 2010.

Flash point adoption: The MEPC is expected to adopt draft amendments to appendix V of MARPOL Annex VI, to include the flash point of fuel oil or a statement that the flash point has been measured at or above 70ºC as mandatory information in the bunker delivery note (BDN). 

• Relevance: The flash point is the lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off vapours in a quantity capable of starting combustion. It is effectively the maximum temperature at which a fuel can be handled safely.

Mediterranean ECA adoption: MEPC 79 is set to adopt amendments to designate the Mediterranean Sea as an Emission Control Area (ECA) for sulphur oxides and particulate matter, under MARPOL Annex VI. The fuel sulphur limit for ships will be 0.1%.

• The amendment could enter into force on May 1, 2024, with the new limit taking effect from May 1, 2025.

Air pollution prevention: The MEPC is to consider documents which have been submitted in relation to a possible bunker fuel licensing system; the impact of the use of biofuels on NOx emissions; and exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS).