Israel imposes 0.10% fuel sulphur limit in ports (w.e.f. 23 February 2023)

Members with ships calling at Israeli ports are advised that from 23 February 2023 a sulphur cap of 0.10% m/m will be imposed while the vessels are at-berth or in designated anchorages.

Alternative compliance methods like utilisation of closed-loop scrubbers or exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) with dedicated tanks to hold and treat resulting wastewater, and use of electric shore connection (available at Bay-port) will be considered as acceptable.

The attached official notice issued by the State of Israel Ministry of Transport provides guidance on reporting non-availability of compliant fuel (FONAR system). It also confirms that discharging of wash water from open-loop EGCS (scrubber) is prohibited while the ship is at-berth or in anchorage area.

This requirement is being announced on the back of the recent designation of the Mediterranean Sea Emission Control Area which was recently adopted at IMO’s MEPC-79 meeting (12-16 December 2022) but will only be implemented from 1 May 2025, and aligns Israel with a similar EU directive for vessels at-berth (Directive (EU) 2016/802).

Categories: Loss Prevention, Pollution