The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), 81st session, will meet in-person at IMO Headquarters in London from 18 to 22 March 2024.

Related to the bunkering industry, further discussions on economic GHG pricing mechanism and technical bunker fuel standard are expected during MPEC 81 session. 

The following is a preview of what will take place at MEPC 81:

Amongst other key agenda items, MEPC 81 is expected to discuss the implementation of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy.  

The MEPC meeting is preceded by the 16th meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 16), from 11-15 March 2024.

MEPC 81 highlights:

1. Tackling climate change – cutting GHG emissions from ships – implementing the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy – continuing discussions on economic GHG pricing mechanism and technical fuel standard
2. Energy efficiency of ships – reports on fuel oil consumption
3. Tackling marine litter – Adoption of amendments on reporting procedures for lost containers / recommendations on carriage of plastic pellets by sea in freight containers
4. Ballast Water Management Convention implementation – experience-building phase, approval of operational guidelines and adoption of amendments to the BWM Convention
5. Proposals for Emission Control Areas
6. Implementation of the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling
7. Marine diesel engine replacing a steam system – draft MARPOL Annex VI amendments
8. Underwater noise reduction   – draft action plan to be considered

Tackling climate change – cutting GHG emissions from ships

IMO has developed global regulations on energy efficiency for ships (read more here) and continues to take concrete action to ensure that international shipping bears its fair share of responsibility in addressing climate change. MEPC 80 in July 2023 adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, with a goal of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by or around, i.e. close to, 2050.

Mid-term measures: fuel standard and pricing mechanism

The MEPC will continue to consider proposals on candidate mid-term measures, following discussion in the Intersessional GHG Working Group. The 2023 IMO GHG Strategy commits Member States to developing and adopting (in late 2025): a technical element, namely a goal-based marine fuel standard regulating the phased reduction of a marine fuel’s GHG intensity; and an economic element, on the basis of a maritime GHG emissions pricing mechanism.   

Proposals under consideration cover both these elements. The latest submissions related to the proposals will be discussed first in the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 16), which meets 11-15 March 2024.

The MEPC and intersessional group will receive a progress report from the Steering Committee on the conduct of the comprehensive impact assessment of the basket of candidate mid-term measure. The impact assessment is a crucial element to support decision making on the mid‑term measures. The impact assessment, inter alia, considers the following areas: geographic remoteness of and connectivity to main markets; cargo value and type; transport dependency; transport costs; food security; disaster response; cost-effectiveness; and socio-economic progress and development.

A Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships will be established during MEPC 81.  

Revised greenhouse gas life cycle guidelines set for adoption

The report of the Correspondence Group on the Further Development of the LCA Framework will be considered. The MEPC is expected to adopt revised Guidelines on life cycle GHG intensity of marine fuels (LCA Guidelines). The LCA guidelines allow for a Well-to-Wake calculation, including Well-to-Tank and Tank-to-Wake emission factors, of total GHG emissions related to the production and use of marine fuels. The updates include revised calculations for default emission factors; updated appendix 4 on template for well-to-tank default emission factor submission; and new appendix 5 template for Tank-to-Wake (TtW) emission factors.

The MEPC is expected to consider TtW (methane) CH4 and (ammonia slip) N2O emission factors and slip values and the need for continuous expert review of such values and emission factors, taking into account the report of the Correspondence Group.

Future work

The MEPC will develop draft terms of reference for further intersessional GHG work, ahead of MEPC 82 (30 September to 4 October 2024).

Energy Efficiency  

The MEPC is expected to consider a report on the fuel oil consumption data submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database (Reporting year: 2022); and the report on annual carbon intensity and efficiency of the existing fleet (Reporting years: 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022).

A Working Group on Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency will be established.

Marine diesel engine replacing a steam system – draft MARPOL Annex VI amendments

The MEPC is expected to adopt draft amendments to regulation 13.2.2 of MARPOL Annex VI on a marine diesel engine replacing a steam system.

Photo and source: International Maritime Organization
Published: 18 March, 2024