Pakistan

7 January 2020

Pakistan’s ports and waters are outside of IMO MARPOL Annex VI Emission Control Areas. Under Annex VI regulation 14 the maximum fuel sulphur limit of 0.50% applies from 1 January 2020. While regulation 4 also applies and approved EGCS can be used as an alternative means of compliance,  discharges from open loop scrubbers are not permitted in port.

This is confirmed as follows in paragraph 8 of the Ministry of Ports & Shipping (Ports & Shipping Wing) Circular No. 001/2020 circulated by the Port Department of Karachi Port Trust:

8. Prohibition on -discharge of wash-water from Open-Loop Scrubbers in Port:
The discharge of wash-water from open-loop scrubbers is prohibited in Port. While in the Port, vessels fitted with hybrid type of scrubbers should switch to the closed-loop mode of operation. As for vessels fitted with open-loop scrubbers, they would need to switch over to compliant fuel instead. It would be advisable to carry out the switch to either closed-loop mode or to compliant fuel well in advance of the vessel’s arrival at the port waters, so that any operational issues can be identified and. dealt with before the ship arrival in Pakistani waters

The document can be downloaded here.