Gearing up for the new verification season 2024
Greetings from VERIFAVIA Shipping, now proudly part of the NORMEC Group! We are thrilled to share that we've solidified our position as the most trusted name in the Independent Maritime greenhouse gas emissions verification landscape. This achievement is a testament to our remarkable team—a group of highly dynamic and exceptionally qualified individuals, including experienced marine engineers and naval architects.
As we have approached the end of the monitoring phase for the year 2023 on the last day of December, our focus will naturally shift towards the crucial verification phase. The meticulous attention to detail, dedication, and expertise of our team will be instrumental in ensuring accurate and reliable verification of greenhouse gas emissions data.
The objective of verification:
To form a well-founded opinion during the verification process and to provide reasonable assurance that the data submitted in the ship's Emission Reports is accurate and reliable, ensuring it is free from significant errors or inconsistencies.
To achieve this, our focus extends to confirming that the ship's existing procedures align with the approved Monitoring Plan (MP) and comply with the stipulations outlined in the EU MRV and UK MRV Regulations. This involves a meticulous examination to ensure that the ship is adhering to the required protocols and reporting accurately.
Throughout the verification process, our team will be delving into the specifics of the MRV 2023 data collected. Our objective is to confirm its conformity with the regulatory requirements set forth by the EU MRV Regulation 2015/757, as well as the associated Delegated and Implementing Regulations. Additionally, we will consider The Merchant Shipping (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Dioxide Emissions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/1388).
We are extremely proud to announce that we have now transitioned to the new ISO 17029:2019. Quality Standards to carry out GHG emissions verification services for the Maritime industry. The EU MRV verifications will be carried out by VERIFAVIA SAS under our existing COFRAC accreditation n° 3-2127. As
VERIFAVIA secures the UKAS accreditation replacing the COFRAC so all the UK Shipping MRV audits will done through them.
The Summarized details are provided below:
EU MRV:
EU MRV regulation is applicable for ships exceeding 5,000 GT carrying cargo or passengers for commercial purposes and calling at EU and EEA countries. The ships must report EU MRV data annually following EU Regulation 2015/757.
It is mandatory to have an approved Monitoring Plan before EU MRV data verification.
The verified EU MRV annual emission reports for 2023 should be submitted to the EU Commission online portal THETIS-MRV by the 30th of April 2024.
Document of Compliance (DoC) should be available onboard the Vessel by the 30th of June 2024.
UK MRV:
UK MRV REGULATION is applicable for ships exceeding 5,000 GT carrying cargo or passengers for commercial purposes and calling UK regions. The operators are required to report Annual UK MRV emission figures by MIN 669 and voyage data to be reported by UK MRV regulation SI 2018/1388. The data reporting template is almost similar to that of EU MRV, the only difference is in the geographical scope of the UK MRV Regime.
IMO DCS / CII:
We at VERIFAVIA appreciate the thorough overview of the task at hand in reviewing the IMO DCS 2023 data. The alignment with the requirements of MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 27 and adherence to MEPC guidelines 346(78) and 348(78) is paramount to ensure compliance within the maritime industry.
Notably, Verifavia holds full delegation from prominent maritime authorities, to verify IMO DCS Fuel oil data and assess the CII rating of shipping operators.
Liberia Maritime Authority
Panama Maritime Authority
Antigua & Barbuda
Republic of Dominica
Vanuatu
For flag states not covered by the aforementioned authorities, the collaboration with KR and RINA Classification societies demonstrates a commitment to a comprehensive and rigorous verification process. This approach ensures a consistent and high-quality assessment, regardless of the flag state, emphasizing Verifavia's dedication to upholding industry standards.
Zero Emission EU/UK MRV:
In case one of your vessels for which the MP was approved did not travel to EU / EEA / UK ports during the year 2023, we strongly recommend that you proceed with Zero Emission Report (ZERO) verification.
We will verify the ports called by the vessel with ship-tracking data and following satisfactory verification we will issue a zero-emission Confirmation of Compliance (COC), stating the vessel did not call any EU / EEA / UK ports during the reporting year 2023.
Challenges Ahead and Regulatory Deadlines
The introduction of EU ETS reflects a commitment to proactive measures in curbing climate change. Updating the MP is a crucial step, and the provided template from the COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION
(EU) 2023/2449 offers a standardized framework, minimizing ambiguity and promoting uniformity in compliance submissions.
The insistence on drafting and verifying MPs exclusively on the THETIS platform aligns with the digital transformation in regulatory compliance. This platform-centric approach not only streamlines the process but also ensures consistency and accessibility for all stakeholders involved.
The revision of the EU ETS Directive entered into force on June 5, 2023. Implementation for the maritime industry will begin on:
January 1, 2024, for cargo and passenger ships of 5000 GT and above.
Before 1st February 2024: Allocation to the Administering Authority of an EU Member State (this cannot be changed).
Before March 2024: Prepare a Monitoring plan aligned with the updated ETS requirements (THETIS MRV must be used).
By 1st April 2024: Submit the assessed EU ETS Monitoring Plan to your Administering Authority (via THETIS MRV).
Starting in 2025, shipping companies will have to surrender sufficient EU emission allowances (EUAs) based on EU monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) data of the previous year. The EU ETS
31st March 2025: Submit verified EU ETS emission report for every ship via THETIS MRV.
31st March 2025: Submit verified Company ETS Emission report via THETIS MRV.
30th September 2025: Surrender allowances to Administering (one allowance for each tonne of CO2 in the verified Company Emission Report) Authority.
January 1, 2027, applicable for offshore ships of 5000 GT and above.
Therefore, keeping in mind the above deadlines, we would appreciate providing us with the raw data and documents listed as soon as possible. It is our continuous effort and strong commitment to finalize all the Verifications well before the regulatory deadlines and to minimize last-minute rush and hurdles.
- DAVINDER SHARMA- Shipping Environmental Auditor Back to all Verifavia Shipping News
