As deliberations at MEPC 84 moved into the final stretch today (1 May), the IMO Chair tabled proposals which would see discussions over the Net Zero Framework and GHG-related issues continue at two intersessional working groups to be held before the meeting of the next Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 85) in November this year. The working groups, ISWG-GHG 22 and 23, are provisionally scheduled for September and November and would further consider how to address remaining concerns and issues with the draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI on the IMO Net-Zero Framework in line with the 2023 IMO GHG […]

At MEPC 84 today (1 May), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) formally adopted the proposal for new emission control area (ECA) in the North-East Atlantic Ocean which, when it comes into effect in September 2028, will be the world’s largest ECA. The new ECA applies to the territorial seas and exclusive economic zones of the Faroe Islands, France, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom The ECA sets binding limits on fuel sulphur content to control sulphur oxides (SOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and introduces stricter nitrogen oxide (NOx) engine limits for newer ships built from 2027 […]

Omani bunker supplier O Bunkering and Marafi Services, the port management business of the Asyad Group, have completed their merger and will now operate as a unified entity under the O Bunkering name. The merger is aimed at supporting the sustainability of the maritime sector in the Sultanate of Oman, in alignment with the objectives of ‘Oman Vision 2040’ to bolster the logistics sector as a primary driver of economic growth. This integration will also the maritime sector’s competitiveness at both regional and international levels and consolidates the Sultanate of Oman’s position as a hub for marine bunkering and related […]