PRESS RELEASE - VERIFAVIA SHIPPING REMINDS SHIPPING COMPANIES OF IMMINENT IMO DCS DEADLINE
Ship owners and operators must submit their data collection plans to verifiers by September 1st to ensure timely verificationLONDON, PARIS, ATHENS – 29 August 2018: Verifavia, the world’s leading emissions verification company for the transport sector (aviation and shipping), today urged ship owners and operators to submit their data collection plans to verifiers by the recommended IMO deadline of September 1st 2018.
The IMO Data Collection System (IMO DCS) which came into force on March 1st 2018 requires ships of 5,000 gross tonnage or above to collect and report data on fuel consumption, distance sailed, and hours underway to an IMO database from 2019.
During the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee’s (MEPC) recent 72nd session, which took place on 9-13 April 2018 in London, the committee agreed that shipping companies must be encouraged to submit the SEEMP Part II to their respective Flag Administration or duly authorised organisation by 1st September 2018, to ensure timely verification.
The committee also approved a sample format for the Confirmation of Compliance that certifies that the ship has a Data Collection Plan (DCP) in place within the SEEMP Part II, which complies with the IMO requirements. This should enable easy and efficient compliance with the regulation.
Julien Dufour, CEO, Verifavia Shipping, commented: “We’re encouraging ship owners and operators to submit their DCPs against the IMO’s recommended deadline to ensure timely verification. As the IMO DCS largely flows from the EU MRV regulation, the reality is that the process for compliance should be relatively easy and straightforward. If shipowners comply with EU MRV, they are also likely to comply with the IMO DCS.”
Aiming to eliminate unhelpful misunderstandings currently hindering compliance, Dufour expands: “There continues to be a common and unhelpful misconception that data must be submitted to the verifier in a certain format, or that data should be generated from a verifier’s software, which goes beyond regulatory requirements. This is placing an unnecessary additional burden on shipowners and operators. If the content submitted to the verifier fulfils the requirements, the format of the data is largely irrelevant.”
With authorisation or strategic cooperation agreements in place with the Panama Maritime Authority, the Liberia Maritime Authority, the Antigua & Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS), the Palau International Ship Registry (PISC), the Vanuatu Maritime Services, and the Commonwealth of Dominica International Maritime Registry, Verifavia Shipping considers itself uniquely qualified to support ship owners and operators in navigating the requirements and challenges of environmental regulations such as the EU MRV and IMO DCS.
According to Verifavia, the EU MRV and IMO DCS regulations which are now both in force are relatively straightforward and the industry is overcomplicating its response to meeting these requirements. The EU MRV system was designed to ignite the building of an international system and the IMO DCS flows directly from it. The EU MRV has 37 items on its template of requirements, while the IMO DCS template has only 9 items. Despite some minor differences between the two, the same methodologies are applicable for both regulations.
As the world’s first independent verifier to provide both IMO DCS and EU MRV verification services, Verifavia continues to leverage its existing in-depth knowledge, expertise, and understanding of these environmental regulations to offer ship owners and operators a streamlined, flexible, and cost-effective verification process.
To help alleviate some of the uncertainty surrounding the compliance process for the upcoming IMO DCS deadline, the company has developed a comprehensive free-to-access FAQ guide which is available via its website.
Notes to editors
- About the EU MRV regulation: According to the EU MRV regulation which came into force on 1 July 2015, shipping companies with vessels exceeding 5,000 gross tons and operating in the EU have started to monitor their carbon emissions, fuel consumption and associated transport work from 1 January 2018 according to their assessed Monitoring Plans.
- About the IMO Data Collection system: The IMO has outlined a roadmap through 2023 which is focused on developing a comprehensive strategy for the reduction of GHG emissions from shipping. In April 2015, the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) agreed to mandatory requirements for ships to record and report data on their fuel consumption. Thereafter, in October 2016 at the 70th meeting, it was decided that these requirements would be adopted as modifications to MARPOL Annex VI.
- To access Verifavia Shipping’s free-to-access IMO DCS FAQ guide, please click here.
About Verifavia Shipping:
Verifavia Shipping, and Verifavia Shipping Hellas which serves the Greece and Cyprus-based shipping market, strives to be the maritime industry’s first choice for the provision of efficient, competitive, and flexible emissions verification information and services worldwide.
By combining its innovative approach and streamlined procedures with the technical expertise and industry knowledge of its team, Verifavia Shipping provides a top-class service that ensures its customers experience a smooth verification journey.
For more information about Verifavia Shipping, visit http://www.verifavia-shipping.com. For up-to-date information and news about the EU MRV and IMO DCS, follow http://twitter.com/VerifaviaMarine.
Media Enquiries:
Kwilole Chisuse-van der Boom
E: kwilole@blue-comms.com
T: +44 (0) 7885 463 927
Back to all Verifavia Shipping News
