The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) recently issued a maritime notice, proposing Australia’s requirements for the use of EGCS in Australian waters to ship owners, ship operators and captains.
As one of the solutions to meet the regulations of MARPOL Annex VI low sulfur oil, EGCS can be used in Australian waters if the following conditions are met: that is, the system is recognized by the flag state of the ship it is carrying or its authorized agency.
The crew shall receive EGCS operation training and ensure the normal maintenance and good operation of the system.
Before the EGCS washing water is discharged into Australian waters, it must be ensured that it meets the discharge water quality standards specified in the IMO 2021 Waste Gas Cleaning System Guide (Resolution MEPC. 340 (77)). Some ports may encourage vessels to avoid discharging washing water in their jurisdiction.
EGCS fault response measures
In case of EGCS failure, measures must be taken to find out and eliminate the problem as soon as possible. If the failure time exceeds 1 hour or the repeated failure occurs, it shall be reported to the authorities of the flag state and port state, and the report contents shall include the details of the failure and the solution.
If EGCS is shut down unexpectedly and cannot be restarted within 1 hour, the vessel should use fuel that meets the requirements. If the qualified fuel carried by the vessel is not enough to support its arrival at the next port of destination, it shall report the proposed solution to the competent authority, such as the fuel filling plan or the EGCS repair plan.
Post time: Feb-01-2023