4 Timing for existing ships to have on board a SEEMP
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Marine Environment Protection Committee - MEPC.1/Circular.795 Rev.6 – Unified Interpretations to MARPOL Annex VI – (10 June 2022) - Annex – Unified Interpretations to MARPOL Annex VI - 4 Timing for existing ships to have on board a SEEMP

4 Timing for existing ships to have on board a SEEMP

Regulation 5

Surveys

Regulation 5.4.4 reads as follows:

  • "For existing ships, the verification of the requirement to have a SEEMP on board according to regulation 26 of this Annex shall take place at the first intermediate or renewal survey identified in paragraph 1 of this regulation, whichever is the first, on or after 1 January 2013."

Regulation 6

Issue or endorsement of Certificates and Statements of Compliance related to fuel oil consumption reporting and operational carbon intensity rating

Regulation 6.4 reads as follows:

  • "An International Energy Efficiency Certificate for the ship shall be issued after a survey in accordance with the provisions of regulation 5.4 of this Annex to any ship of 400 gross tonnage and above before that ship may engage in voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of other Parties."

Regulation 26

Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP)

Regulation 26.1 reads as follows:

  • "Each ship shall keep on board a ship specific Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). This may form part of the ship's Safety Management System (SMS)."

Interpretation:

4.1 The International Energy Efficiency Certificate (IEEC) should be issued for both new and existing ships to which chapter 4 applies. Ships which are not required to keep an SEEMP on board are not required to be issued with an IEEC.

4.2 The SEEMP required by regulation 26.1 is not required to be placed on board an existing ship to which this regulation applies until the verification survey specified in regulation 5.4.4 is carried out.

4.3 For existing ships, a SEEMP required in accordance with regulation 26 should be verified on board according to regulation 5.4.4, and an IEEC should be issued, not later than the first intermediate or renewal survey, in accordance with chapter 2, whichever is earlier, on or after 1 January 2013, i.e. a survey connected to an intermediate/renewal survey of the IAPP Certificate.

4.4 The intermediate or renewal survey referenced in paragraph 4.3 relates solely to the timing of the verification of the SEEMP on board, i.e. these IAPP Certificate survey windows will also become the IEEC initial survey date for existing ships. The SEEMP is, however, a survey item solely under chapter 4 and is not a survey item relating to IAPP Certificate surveys.

4.5 In the event that the SEEMP is not available on board during the first intermediate/renewal survey of the IAPP Certificate on or after 1 January 2013, the RO should seek the advice of the Administration concerning the issuance of an IEEC and be guided accordingly. However, the validity of the IAPP Certificate is not impacted by the lack of a SEEMP as the SEEMP is a survey item solely under chapter 4 and not under the IAPP Certificate surveys.

4.6 With respect to ships required to keep on board a SEEMP, such ships exclude platforms (including FPSOs and FSUs) and drilling rigs, regardless of their propulsion, and any other ship without means of propulsion.

4.7 The SEEMP should be written in a working language or languages understood by ships' personnel.

Parent topic: Annex – Unified Interpretations to MARPOL Annex VI
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