[introduction] with the implementation of the implementation plan of the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Sea (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei) water area ship emission control area, the low sulfur wave is coming in all-round way, and there must be brave people and casualties under the wave. We must act immediately to respond, indifferent, and only put ourselves in a more dangerous situation.

Shipping pollution has become the third largest source of air pollution after vehicle exhaust pollution and industrial enterprise emission. China's ports are mostly concentrated in densely populated areas such as the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta and the Bohai rim. In addition to nitrogen oxide emissions and other pollutants such as inhalable particles, high sulfur content is the most serious problem because ocean going ships mainly burn heavy oil with high sulfur content. Behind the endless beauty of the shipping market, carcinogenic waste gas has brought great harm to people, so it is urgent to increase the treatment of shipping pollution.

China's ship emission control zone finally came out

In order to implement the law of the people's Republic of China on the prevention and control of air pollution, promote the development of green shipping and ship energy conservation and emission reduction, and reduce the air pollutant emissions of ships in key areas of China, the Ministry of transport issued the implementation plan of the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Bohai (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei) water area ship emission control zone (hereinafter referred to as the plan) on December 4, 2015, and put forward the implementation plan in the Pearl River Delta. Three major water areas, i.e. the triangle, the Yangtze River Delta and the Bohai rim, are set up to control ship discharge. This is the first time that China has set up an air pollution control area for ships to control the emission of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matters from ships, improve the environmental air quality of coastal and riverside areas, especially in port cities, and lay a foundation for the control of air pollution from ships. According to the preliminary calculation, after the implementation of the ship emission control area, by 2020, the ship emissions of sulfide and particulate matter in the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Rim (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei) waters will be 65% and 30% lower than that in 2015.

The emission control area covers the surrounding waters of 9 cities in the Pearl River Delta (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai) and the inland navigation waters, 16 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Nantong, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Zhoushan) and the inland navigation waters, as well as the area within the connecting line between the coastline junction of Dalian and Dandong in the Bohai Sea (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei) and the coastline junction of Weihai in Yantai. And Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, Yantai and other 13 cities inland river navigable waters. Including Shenzhen port, Guangzhou port, Zhuhai port, Suzhou Port, Ningbo Zhoushan port, Shanghai port, Nantong port, Tianjin port, Qinhuangdao port, Tangshan port and Hebei Huanghua port.

Five time periods
I. since January 1, 2016, the ports with conditions can implement measures that are higher than the current emission control requirements, such as using fuel oil with sulfur content ≤ 0.5% m / M during the berthing period of ships;

2. From January 1, 2017, ships in the core port area shall use fuel oil with sulfur content ≤ 0.5% m / M during berthing;

III. from January 1, 2018, fuel oil with sulfur content ≤ 0.5% m / m shall be used during berthing at all ports in the emission control area;

IV. from January 1, 2019, after the ship enters the emission control area, the fuel oil with sulfur content ≤ 0.5% m / M must be used. For vessels operating in emission control areas, alternative measures equivalent to emission control requirements can be taken, such as connecting shore power, using clean energy, tail gas post-treatment, etc.

V. before December 31, 2019, China will further determine more stringent control measures based on the assessment of the implementation effect of the ship's emission control area, including the use of fuel oil with sulfur content ≤ 0.1% m / M and the expansion of the geographical scope of the emission control area when the ship enters the emission control area.

Yangtze River Delta waters set off the first wave

From April 1, 2016, it is required that the fuel oil with sulfur content no more than 0.5% m / m shall be used when the ship berths at the core port, the fuel oil with sulfur content no more than 0.1% m / m shall be encouraged to be used when the ship berths, and the fuel oil with sulfur content no more than 0.5% m / m shall be encouraged to enter the emission control area. After evaluating the implementation of the measures in the first stage, timely start the control measures in the second stage, including the fuel oil with sulfur content not higher than 0.5% m / m when the ship enters the emission control area, the fuel oil with sulfur content not higher than 0.1% m / m when berthing, and the fuel oil with sulfur content not higher than 0.1% m / m when the ship enters the emission control area.

On February 17, the general office of Shanghai Municipal People's government issued the work plan for Shanghai port to implement the ship emission control zone (HFB [2016] No.7). Since April 1, 2016, during berthing in Shanghai port area (except for one hour after berthing and one hour before departure, the same below), fuel oil with sulfur content ≤ 0.5% m / m shall be used.

On March 30, the general office of the people's Government of Zhejiang Province printed and distributed the implementation plan for the ship emission control area of Zhejiang Province (zzbf [2016] No. 37). From April 1, Zhoushan port (Beilun, Chuanshan, Daxie, Zhenhai, Meishan, Shengsi, Liuheng, Dinghai, Qushan, Jintang port) in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, together with Shanghai port, Nantong port and Suzhou Port, will take the lead in implementing the measures of ship emission control zone in the Yangtze River Delta.

On March 31, the general office of the people's Government of Jiangsu Province issued the implementation plan of Jiangsu ship emission control zone in Yangtze River Delta waters (szbf [2016] No. 28). The core port area is the coastal riverside port area of Suzhou and Nantong port.

Pearl River Delta waters follow

On July 22, Guangzhou Environmental Protection Bureau, Guangzhou Maritime Administration, Guangzhou Port Authority and Guangzhou industry and Information Technology Commission issued the circular on strengthening ship emission control (SUI Huan [2016] No. 126).

On September 30, the general office of Shenzhen municipal government issued the work plan for implementing pollution control measures for berthing ships in Shenzhen port, which stipulates that since October 1, 2016, ships in Shenzhen port shall use low sulfur fuel oil during berthing.

Perfect ending of Bohai Rim waters

On November 10, the Information Office of the people's Government of Hebei Province held a press conference on "solidly serving the economic development of coastal areas". The Hebei Maritime Safety Administration ensured the sustainable stability of the water traffic safety situation of Hebei Province and guaranteed the economic development of coastal areas by constructing the "four systems" of water traffic safety supervision.

From January 1, 2018, Hebei will conduct oil inspection on all ships calling at key ports. If the ships use fuel oil with sulfur content greater than 0.5% during berthing, they will be punished. The new regulations will first be implemented in four key ports, namely Qinhuangdao port, Tangshan port, Tianjin port and Huanghua port.

We'll wait and see

So far, the requirements of the implementation plan for the marine emission control area in the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Sea (Beijing Tianjin Hebei) waters have been basically implemented in all major ports. The low sulfur wave is coming to our table one by one, more and more turbulent, and the rhythm is faster and faster. We will be at the forefront of the wave to meet the challenge! You may stumble on the edge of the wave, you may toss and turn in the waves, or you may be photographed on the beach. But we still have to face the reality and act, let alone stay where we are and do nothing, which may engulf us and kill us.

According to Zhuo Chuang, at present, 90% of sulfur content of domestic trade ships can not reach the standard of less than 0.5%, and most sulfur content is 1% - 2%. The use of low sulphur marine oil means that the cost of oil adjustment for low sulphur marine fuel oil is increased by at least 200 yuan / ton, while the current oil refiner's profit is around 100 yuan / ton. This will undoubtedly transfer oil business to the side of a large loss, bankruptcy tide or will follow.

For shipowners, the establishment of ship emission control area will inevitably bring about the cost increase. If we want to reduce the emission of sulfide to meet the standards, the owners either choose to use low sulfur oil, but the cost will increase in the long run, or choose to install sulfur removal equipment, but the investment of one-time equipment is huge. Strong cost pressure makes shipowners struggling, or will cause the whole industry reshuffle.

For shipping enterprises, the implementation of the plan will bring challenges such as increased operating costs and ship transformation, which may lead to the elimination of some ships and shipping enterprises that can not meet the new requirements. However, in the long run, while suffering, it also brings important opportunities for industrial restructuring, innovative development and green development of the shipping industry, which will also promote ship cleaning in China and the international market. Improve the level of industrialization and improve the international competitiveness in the future.