Sun starts to set on single hulls as phase-out comes into force

Citation

(2005), "Sun starts to set on single hulls as phase-out comes into force", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 14 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2005.07314dab.001

Sun starts to set on single hulls as phase-out comes into force

Today sees the start of a new dawn for the shipping industry, with the mandatory phase-out of single-hull tankers and the introduction of new regulations limiting the carriage of heavy grade oil to certain ship types.

Most analysts are not expecting any major changes in the market from the phase-out in the next few years, but some showed concerns for the availability of tonnage in 2009-2010.

Other analysts said there were several issues that cloud the situation, such as who will enforce the regulations, as not all countries are signatories, which could mean some tankers will escape the ban.

Impact

Intertanko expects only a limited impact on tanker markets as many single-hulled tankers have already been taken out of service.

It estimates 169 ships with a combined dry weight of 6.9 m tonnes will be taken out of service this year, of which 142 tankers are below 60,000 dwt.

“This leaves 27 ships of panamax, aframax, suezmax or higher, which is pretty negligible”, an Intertanko spokesman said. “Next year this will be even smaller, about a third of this year, but in 2007 it will be back to 2005 figures”.

Tanker owners have been preparing for phase-out of single hulled tankers, with huge orders for double-hulled vessels to upgrade their fleets. According to Intertanko, at the end of 2004, 67 per cent of the global fleet was double hulled and by the end of this year 71 per cent will not be single hulled.

Accelerate

The International Maritime Organization revised the regulation 13G of Annex I of the Marpol convention in December 2003 to accelerate a phase-out of single-hulled tankers, beginning today with category 1 vessels most affected.

Those category 1 ships delivered before 5 April 1982, will not be able to trade in hydrocarbons under the Marpol regulations, and all of these types of vessels delivered after 5 April 1982, should be taken out of service by the end of the year.

Category 1 tankers are 20,000 dwt or greater, able to carry crude oil, heavy oil, diesel or lubricating oil and without protectively located segregated ballast tanks.

Under the regulations 13G, amended after the Erika and Prestige tanker incidents off Europe, category 2 tankers will also be phased out starting today, according to their age, until 2010.

Category 2 tankers delivered on or before 5 April 1977, will be taken out of service, while those delivered by the start of 1978 will be forced out by the end of this year.

Regulation 13H of Marpol Annex I, also coming into force today, bans the carriage of heavy grade oil in single-hulled tankers of more than 5,000 dwt.

IMO provides a framework for phase out of category 2 and 3 single-hulled tankers with all of these ships to be taken out of service by the end of 2010.

Exemptions

But there are exemptions under regulations 13G that allow flag states to permit category 2 tankers to operate beyond 2010-2015 or to the age of 25 years. Port authorities have the right to ban these tankers if required.

Under regulation 13G all single-hulled tankers 15 years or older will be required to undertake extra survey work under the condition assessment scheme. This means these tankers will come under more stringent and transparent verifications, reporting structural conditions of ships.

CAS can be done at the tanker’s next intermediate or special survey.

(Martyn Wingrove – Tuesday 5 April 2005; Lloyds Casualty Week, 8 April 2005)