Accordign to MANA, from 1 January 2017, ships berthing at the six ports – Guangzhou, Huanghua, Qinhuangdao, Tangshan, Tianjin and Zhuhai – need to burn bunker fuel with a sulphur content cap of 0.5%.The fuel sulphur rule was imposed at the ports of Shanghai, Nantong, Ningbo-Zhoushan and Suzhou since April last year before extending to Shenzhen in October.
With six more keys added to China’s own Emission Control Area (ECA), this brings the number of key ports in the country’s ECA to 11.
The London P&I Club advised that it would help if shipowners understand the details of the berthing period during which low sulphur fuel needs to be used.
In Shanghai, for example, the berthing period runs from when the ship is firmly fastened to a bollard until all cables are untied, whereas in Suzhou and Nantong, the relevant period is within one hour after arrival and one hour before departure.
Ships berthing in Shanghai port can also apply for exemption if the low sulphur fuel oil is unsafe to be used.