NEWS

As of 1 May 2025, the Mediterranean Sea will effectively become an Emission Control Area (ECA) for sulphur oxides (SOx) under MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14.

This implies that from then on when operating in the Mediterranean Sea, the sulphur content of the fuel used on board shall not exceed 0.10%, unless using an exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) ensuring an equivalent SOx emission level. This is believed to significantly reduce ambient levels of air pollution in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Mediterranean coastal states, providing benefits to human health and the environment.

At present, the other SOx ECAs under MARPOL are the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the North American and the United States Caribbean Sea ECAs. In the future, we may see the designation of other SOx ECAs as well. One candidate may be a North-East Atlantic Ocean ECA linking the existing ECAs in the Baltic Sea and North Sea with the Mediterranean ECA.

The IMO has adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex VI which introduce three new Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur oxides (SOx).

The following new areas will require ships to comply with reduced emissions limitations:

These ECAs are defined in the regulations and are illustrated in below charts: Mediterranean Sea - In the below chart, the numbered points relate to the corresponding coordinates given in the regulations.

Mediterranean Sea becomes a SOx ECA from 1 May 2025.

From this date, amendments to MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14.3.5, as amended by IMO Resolution MEPC.361(79), will prohibit ships operating within the Mediterranean Sea ECA from using fuel oils with a sulphur content exceeding 0.1% m/m unless an approved equivalent arrangement is used such as Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems.