HELCOM/EMSA project on monitoring the banning of carriage of heavy grade oil in single hull tankers (2005-2007)

Background:

Monitoring the enforcement of international rules by ships can be strengthened by making fuller use of the new tools available to control shipping traffic, e.g. the Automatic Identification System. HELCOM/EMSA project on monitoring the banning of carriage of heavy grade oil in single hull tankers (Single Hull Tanker Project) exploits the national and regional traffic monitoring systems of the Baltic Sea countries and EMSA database systems as well as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding Secretariat list of banned vessels by the HELCOM Automatic Identification System (AIS).

The pilot project started in 2005 and participating countries were: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Norway. The system was put into full operation in 2007 and became an ongoing application project.

Aim:

The project objective is to monitor compliance with the provisions of the amended Annex I of the MARPOL Convention and Regulation (EC) No 1726/2003, regarding banning the carriage of heavy oil in single hull tankers, which entered into force as from 5 April 2005.

Actions:

The activities include implementation of a system enabling detection of the single hull tankers and checking their cargo. The system involves, e.g.:

-       Detection by the countries’ shore-based AIS infrastructure vessels bound for or leaving the ports of the countries and also vessels transiting through waters along their coasts, by exploiting the list of single hull tankers which are banned from carrying heavy grade oil. The list has been drawn by EMSA and is based on information from the Paris MoU Secretariat, classification societies, EQUASIS, GISIS, Lloyd’s Register Fairplay data, etc.

-       If a single hull tanker is detected, investigation by the competent authorities whether she is carrying heavy grade oil. Information on cargo is obtained through the national databases of the countries or through VTSs (that interact with the vessels).

-       Forwarding the results from the country that first conducts such checks to the others along the route.

Contacts:

Mr. Lazaros Aichmalotidis
European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)
Av. Dom Joao II
Lote 1.06.2.5
1998-001 Lisbon
Tel: +351 211209249
Email: lazaros.aichmalotidis@emsa.europa.eu

Mr. Jarle Hauge
Norwegian Coastal Administration
Flathauggaten 12
NO-5500 Haugesund
Tel: +47 95160530
Email: jarle.hauge@kystverket.no

Mr. Henry Schuren
Royal Danish Administration of Navigation and Hydrography
Overgaden o. Vandet 62 B
P.O. Box 1919
DK-1023 Copenhagen K
Tel: +45 3268 9655
Email: hak@frv.dk