North American emission control area comes into effect on 1 August 2012

The North American Emission Control Area (ECA), under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), comes into effect from 1 August 2012, bringing in stricter controls on emissions of sulphur oxide (SOx), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter for ships trading off the coasts of Canada, the United States and the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. 

Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI (Regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships) to establish the North American ECA entered into force on 1 August 2011, with a 12-month period before becoming effective. 

There are now three designated ECAs in effect globally, the other two being sulphur oxide ECAs only in the Baltic Sea area and the North Sea area.

A fourth area, the United States Caribbean Sea ECA, covering certain waters adjacent to the coasts of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, was designated under MARPOL amendments adopted in July 2011, with expected entry into force on 1 January 2013, with the new ECA taking effect 12 months later on 1 January 2014.

Coordinates for the North American ECA

 Coordinates for the North American ECA can be found in Resolution MEPC.190(60)

Within ECAS, the sulphur content of fuel oil (expressed in terms of % m/m – that is, by weight) must be no more than 1.00% m/m; falling to 0.10% m/m on and after 1 January 2015. 

This compares to 3.50% m/m outside an ECA, falling to 0.50% m/m on and after 1 January 2020. This date could be deferred to 1 January 2025, depending on the outcome of a review, to be completed by 2018, as to the availability of compliant fuel oil.

In practice, this means that, within an ECA, ships must burn fuel oil of a lower sulphur content. Alternatively, the ship may use any “fitting, material, appliance or apparatus or other procedures, alternative fuel oils, or compliance methods”, which are at least as effective in terms of emissions reductions, as approved by the Party to MARPOL Annex VI. 

With regard to NOx emissions, marine diesel engines installed on a ship constructed on or after 1 January 2011 must comply with the “Tier II” standard set out in regulation 13 of MARPOL Annex VI. Marine diesel engines installed on a ship constructed on or after 1 January 2016 will be required to comply with the more stringent Tier III NOx standard, when operated in a designated NOx ECA. 

Further information and guidance is available from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s website for Ocean Vessels and Large Ships:                                             

（译文参考：船舶管理部  傅恒星编译）

北美排放控制区2012年8月1日正式启用

根据国际防止船舶污染海洋公约，划定的北美排放控制区（ECA）将于2012年8月1日正式启用。该区域的生效标志着针对航行于加拿大、美国以及法属圣皮埃尔和密克隆岛岸线水域国际贸易船舶之更为严格的硫氧化物（SOx）、氮氧化物（NOx）和特殊物质排放控制规定的诞生。

MARPOL公约附则VI有关防止船舶污染大气规则的修正案中建立了北美排放控制区并规定于2011年8月1日起的12个月后正式启用。

目前全球共有三个有效设定的排放控制区，除北美以外，还有两个硫氧化物排放控制区分别为波罗的海海域和北海海域。

第四个排放控制区，即美国加勒比海排放控制区，涵盖了波多黎各海岸线以及美国维京群岛水域，于2011年7月根据MARPOL公约修正案设定，并预计在2013年1月1日正式生效，并于此后的2014年1月1日正式启用该区域。

北美排放控制区的协调
有关北美排放控制区协调的有关规定见海洋环境保护委员会第MEPC.190（60）号决议。ECA emissions limits排放控制区的限制。

在排放控制区内，燃油的硫含量（以质量之比%为单位）必须不高于1.00% m/m，而自2015年1月1日及以后起，比例必须下降到0.10% m/m。

 这与排放控制区域外区域燃油的硫含量必须低于3.50% m/m，而自2020年1月1日及以后起，比例必须下降到0.50% m/m的规定形成了鲜明的对比。而这一日期可能被推迟到2025年1月1日，这取决于将在2018年完成的有关柔性燃油的调查报告的结果。

实践过程中，照此规定，在排放控制区内，船舶必须使用低硫含量的燃油。换言之，船舶可以使用任何“配件、材料、设施或装备或其他程序来代替使用燃油，或者遵守本项规定”，这是遵守缔约国签署的MARPOL公约附则VI最行之有效的减排措施。

有关氮氧化物排放方面，于2011年1月1日及以后安装的船舶柴油引擎必须遵守MARPOL公约附则VI第13款的规定“Tier II”标准。2016年1月1日及以后安装的船舶柴油引擎在设定的氮氧化物排放控制区内必须遵循更为严格的“Tier III”标准。

更多有关信息和指南可从美国环境保护署海洋船舶和大型船舶网站上获得，网址为：http://www.epa.gov/otaq/oceanvessels.htm#north-american.