Air quality control for Asian ports

The South Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries’ (MOF) air quality control programme will define selected South Korean ports and areas as ECAs, said DNV GL. Maximum sulphur limits (0.1%) and speed limits will support the effectiveness of the programme.

Affected ports/areas, include Incheon, Pyeongtaek, Dangjin Area; Yeosu, Gwangyang area; Busan; Busan(west) area; and Ulsan area.

The sulphur restriction element of the programme means that from 1 September 2020, ships berthing or anchoring at these ECAs must use max. 0.1% sulphur content fuel (or reduce emissions below this target). From 1 January 2022 this limit also applies when navigating the ECAs.

The port areas will be designated as ‘Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) programme Sea Areas’. Each Sea Area will span 20 nautical miles in radius, measured from a specific lighthouse in each port. Ships will be required to navigate no faster than a maximum speed of 12 knots for container ships and car-carriers and 10 knots for other ship types, when moving from starting point to an end point within a Sea Area.

Port fees will be reduced for ships which lower their speeds to set targets defined in the VSR programme Sea Areas.