MARPOL Operations Live
Logbooks, procedures and environmental compliance: Oil Record Book, Sludge, Garbage, Bilge, SOPEP, Incinerator, Ballast Water, Fuel Changeover, Sewage, Bunker Delivery Note, Anti-Fouling Systems, VOC Management Plan, Discharges in Polar Waters and Polar Code, IMO DCS Transport Work and Advanced Granularity, North-East Atlantic ECA, Integrated Bilge Water Treatment System, 2026 Strategy on Marine Plastic Litter and the Future Pellet Code.
Each topic below brings together, in a single place: an operational explanation, the regulatory reference, scope of application, procedure, practical example, real cases, common mistakes, PSC observations, operational tips, a checklist and FAQ — regulations verified as of July 2026.
Oil Record Book — Part I (Machinery Space Operations)
The mandatory logbook documenting every oil-related operation in the machinery space: the first thing a PSCO asks to see on board.
Sludge Management
Storage and disposal of the oily residues generated by purifiers and separators: the point environmental inspectors scrutinise most closely.
Bilge Water Management
Discharging bilge water through the oily water separator (OWS): the procedure most exposed to illegal tampering.
Garbage Record Book
The shipboard waste log, with an applicability threshold recently extended and new Special Areas active since 2025.
SOPEP — Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
The emergency plan for oil spills: it must be ready to use, not merely present on board.
Incinerator Operations
What can be incinerated on board, where it's prohibited, and how to keep track of the ash produced.
Ballast Water Management
Managing ballast water under the D-2 standard and the new record book format in force since 2025.
Change Over Fuel (Fuel Oil Changeover ECA)
The fuel changeover procedure at the entry/exit of Emission Control Areas: timings and records that inspectors always check.
MARPOL Annex VI — Prevention of Air Pollution
The full map of Annex VI: SOx/NOx, ECAs, ODS, VOCs, incineration, fuel quality and energy efficiency (EEXI, CII, DCS) — with the picture updated to 2026.
Sewage Management — MARPOL Annex IV
Discharging sewage seems simple until distance from the coast, the treatment plant's status and stricter local rules all intersect at once.
Bunker Delivery Note and MARPOL Sampling
The BDN is not just a delivery document: together with the MARPOL sample kept on board, it is the documentary proof of fuel compliance for the following 12 months.
Anti-Fouling Systems (AFS Convention)
From TBT to cybutryne: the AFS Convention keeps narrowing the list of permitted biocides in anti-fouling paints, with precise removal deadlines to meet.
VOC Management Plan
Mandatory for every crude oil tanker: the plan that minimises volatile organic compound emissions during loading, the voyage and discharge.
Discharges in Polar Waters: MARPOL Requirements and Polar Code Part II-A
In the Arctic, discharging oil is banned with no exceptions — not merely restricted as in other waters: Polar Code Part II-A layers stricter restrictions on top of those already set by MARPOL for polar waters.
IMO DCS: Transport Work and Advanced Granularity from 2026
Ships that have not adopted advanced data collection on a voluntary basis since January 2025 must do so mandatorily from 1 January 2026: total fuel consumption alone is no longer enough — detail per individual onboard consumer is required.
New North-East Atlantic ECA: SOx, PM and NOx (MEPC 84)
A new emission control area is never news to read the day before entering it: the North-East Atlantic becomes an ECA for sulphur, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides from 1 September 2027, and fuel changeover planning needs revisiting well in advance.
Integrated Bilge Water Treatment System: the New Regulation 12A
Instead of two separate systems to coordinate (separator and 15ppm alarm), MEPC 84 opens the way to a single integrated system for bilge water treatment: a change in architecture, not just in threshold.
IMO 2026 Strategy on Marine Plastic Litter and the Future Pellet Code
Zero plastic discharge from ships into the sea by 2030 is not a slogan: MEPC 84 adopted a strategy with a concrete action plan, and has already mandated a dedicated mandatory code for the carriage of plastic pellets in containers.
New 2026 ECAs: Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea
Two new emission control areas have already been in force since 1 March 2026: the window to adjust passage planning and bunkering is narrower than it looks, because the SOx/PM limits kick in as early as 2027.
NOx Technical Code: Certification of Ammonia and Multi-Fuel Engines (MEPC 84)
An ammonia-fuelled or dual-fuel methanol engine doesn't enter the NOx regulatory framework by magic: MEPC 84 finalized the certification rules that were missing, ahead of formal adoption at MEPC 85.