Fuel oil sulphur content control for ships at berth in EU ports

In accordance with requirements of the Directive EC/1999/32/WE as amended by EU Directives 2005/33/EC and 2009/30/EC from January 1, 2010 the sulphur content of fuel oils used by ships at berth in EU ports shall not exceed 0.10% by mass 1).

This requirement applies to all grades of fuel oil and all types of combustion machinery, including main and auxiliary engines and boilers.
Ships need not comply with the above mentioned limit while manoeuvring. However, they shall fulfil this requirement as soon as possible after the arrival in port, and shall continue to fulfil it until as late as possible before the departure.

This requirement does not apply:
(a) whenever, according to the published timetables, ships are due to be at berth for less than two hours;
(b)until 1 January 2012, to the ships listed in the Directive Annex and operating exclusively within the territory of the Hellenic Republic;
(c)to ships who switch off all their engines and boilers and use shoreside electricity while at berth in ports.

1) this requirement applies to: sea-going ships and inland waterway vessels at berth in the EU ports2), floating docks operating in waters administered by the Polish Maritime Boards, including the shipyard areas;
2) ship at berth in the EU port means a vessel which is securely moored or anchored (also on buoys and alongside another vessel) in a Community port while it is loading/unloading or hotelling, including the time spent when not engaged in cargo operations. The requirements of Directive 1999/32/EC,as amended, were incorporated into the Polish law by the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure on 25 March 2009 (The Journal of Laws No. 58, item. 477).

Council Directive 1999/32/EC of 26 April 1999 relating to a reduction in the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels and amending Directive 93/12/EEC