Incheon Port Strengthens Sulfur Oxide Emission Regulations for Ships Starting September

Map of Sulfur Oxide Emission Control Areas for Ships [Provided by Incheon Port Authority]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon Port Authority announced on the 7th that, in accordance with the "Special Act on Air Quality Improvement in Port Areas" and the "Designation Notice of Sulfur Oxide Emission Control Areas," the sulfur content standard for fuel oil used by ships berthed or docked at Incheon Port and nearby waters will be significantly tightened to 0.1% or less starting from September.

This is a stricter standard than the sulfur content cap of 0.5% for ship fuel oil introduced in January this year to reduce air pollutants such as fine dust emitted from ships.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries designated and announced last December the nearby waters of five major domestic ports, including Incheon Port, as sulfur oxide emission control areas.

Considering the preparation period for shipping companies, the government plans to apply the regulation to ships berthed or moored in the emission control areas starting from September this year, and expand the application to ships navigating within the emission control areas from January 2022.

If a ship's fuel oil sulfur content exceeds the standard in the sulfur oxide emission control area and is detected, it will be subject to imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW.

Since the end of last year, Incheon Port Authority has been promoting various activities to reduce air pollutants emitted from ships, including the early implementation of the Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) program.

VSR is a system that reduces the ship's operating speed to 10-12 knots or less from 20 nautical miles before entering the port, and offers a 15-30% discount on ship entry and exit fees when the ship enters the port at the reduced speed.

Choi Junwook, President of Incheon Port Authority, said, "We expect the air quality around Incheon Port to improve significantly through the regulation of sulfur content in ship fuel oil and the designation of sulfur oxide emission control areas."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.