Implementation of MARPOL Annex VI regulations in the state of Israel
Ships calling Israeli ports to use fuel with maximum Sulphur content 0.10 % m/m.
On its 79th session, the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee adopted the designation of the Mediterranean Sea as an Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides and particulate matter. The new SECA takes effect from the 01st of May 2025.
New regulations in the State of Israel coming into force on the 23rd of February 2023 precede Mediterranean SECA and bring forward the 0.10% m/m Sulphur content limit. As per Shipping Notices MP 27, it is prohibited to use “fuel oil with a Sulphur content of more than 0.1 0 per cent when mooring alongside port or in anchorage ports limit area —unless an EGCS is fitted.” It also bans discharging of wash water from open loop Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) “when ship is berthing alongside in any Israeli port, including ports anchorage area.”
It is not specified how the new regulation will be enforced and at what exact moment vessel’s machinery must be burning compliant fuel. Therefore, Members are advised to contact their local agents for clarification in advance.
MP 27 by the Israeli Ministry of Transport & Road Safety provides valuable guidance on Fuel Oil Non-Availability Reports (FONAR), Bunker Delivery Notes (BDN), use of EGCS in Israeli Waters and exemptions.