MARPOL Operations
20 topics on MARPOL records, discharges, emissions and data, alongside the separate AFS and BWM regimes and adopted or draft developments.
Each topic provides explanations, pinpoint references, scope, examples, checklists and FAQs. AFS and BWM are separate conventions grouped here for operational relevance. Future proposals are distinguished from applicable requirements and documentary limits remain explicit.
Oil Record Book — Part I (Machinery Space Operations)
Prescribed ORB Part I operations: codes, weekly inventory, signatures and record retention.
Sludge Management
Oil-residue collection and disposal, weekly inventory and consistency between tanks, ORB and receipts.
Bilge Water Management
Bilge discharges: geographical conditions, OWS, alarm and automatic stopping, checks and records.
Garbage Record Book
Garbage management and records, accidental losses and discharge conditions; Red Sea requirements active since 2025.
SOPEP — Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Oil-spill response preparation: approved plan, updated official contacts and ship–shore coordination.
Incinerator Operations
Permitted materials, operating limits and temperature monitoring; relevant records and ash management.
Ballast Water Management
The BWM Convention: scope, approved plan, standards, records, failures and conditions for alternative measures.
Change Over Fuel (Fuel Oil Changeover ECA)
Separate fuels, already-compliant fuel or approved equivalents: plan ECA transitions and record relevant events.
MARPOL Annex VI — Prevention of Air Pollution
Annex VI fuel, engine and emission requirements, with distinct scopes and dates for NOx, SOx, SEEMP, DCS and CII.
Sewage Management — MARPOL Annex IV
Sewage discharge conditions: approved plant, distances, discharge rate and additional Baltic, polar and local requirements.
Bunker Delivery Note and MARPOL Sampling
BDNs and samples: distinguish conventional and gas/low-flashpoint fuels, required data, custody and MARPOL/SOLAS checks.
Anti-Fouling Systems (AFS Convention)
AFS Convention: TBT and cybutryne controls, treatment of existing coatings and ship-specific documentation.
VOC Management Plan
Crude-oil vapour emissions: approved VOC plan contents, shipboard responsibilities and separate port requirements.
Discharges in Polar Waters: MARPOL Requirements and Polar Code Part II-A
Oil, sewage and garbage discharges in polar waters: prohibitions, exceptions, ice and land distances and the HFO regime.
IMO DCS: Transport Work and Advanced Granularity from 2026
DCS: ordinary enhanced granularity from 2026, 2025 early-implementation or delivery branches, transport work, data gaps and access.
New North-East Atlantic ECA: SOx, PM and NOx (MEPC 84)
North-East Atlantic ECA: boundaries and ship/engine criteria; applicable Tier III from 1 September 2027, SOx/PM from 1 September 2028.
New 2026 ECAs: Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea
Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea: applicable Tier III from 1 March 2026 with distinct criteria; SOx/PM from 1 March 2027.
Integrated Bilge Water Treatment System: the New Regulation 12B
IBTS: existing guidance for separating and managing bilge water; future regulation 12B approved as a draft, not yet in force.
IMO 2026 Strategy on Marine Plastic Litter and the Future Pellet Code
The MARPOL plastic-discharge prohibition is already in force. The 2030 strategy, voluntary pellet guidance and future code remain distinct.
NOx Technical Code: Certification of Ammonia and Multi-Fuel Engines (MEPC 84)
NOx: modification and recertification, phased multiple-profile requirements, the non-carbon fuels project and the separate EEDI track.
Last substantive revision of this page: 3 September 2026 · page fingerprint 682c4232aef5