Sulfur Emission Control Area

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The Sulfur Emission Control Area (SECA) was used to designate regions in which the emission of sulfur and sulfur oxides by seagoing vessels is to be restricted. Today these regions are known as Emission Controlled Area (ECA).

The basis for declaring a region to be a SECA was Appendix VI (Annex VI) of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) drawn up in 1997 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO ).

In a SECA, the following special rules applied to the burning of fuels on seagoing ships - in addition to other strict rules for the emission of exhaust gases:

  • The mass fraction of sulfur in the fuel to be burned was not allowed to exceed a value of 1.5% since May 19, 2006. Alternatively, there was the possibility of installing so-called scrubbers that clean the exhaust gases and reduce the emission of sulfur and sulfur oxides.
  • Aqueous oil residues may only be burned if they result from separating (dewatering and cleaning the fuel) from low-sulfur fuel (1.5% M / m ).
  • Since January 1, 2010, only marine diesel oils with a sulfur mass content of 0.1% or less may be burned in all European ports .
  • Since July 1, 2010, only fuels with a sulfur mass fraction of 1.0% may be burned in SECAs.
  • Since January 1, 2015, only fuels with a sulfur mass fraction of 0.1% may be burned in SECAs.

The following SECAs have been set up:

  • since July 1st, 2000 all European ports; applies to all ocean-going vessels that operate exclusively with marine diesel oil
  • since May 19, 2006 the Baltic Sea ; applies to all seagoing vessels
  • since August 11, 2006 all European waters; applies to all passenger ships flying the European flag on regular services
  • since August 11, 2007 the North Sea and the English Channel ; applies to all seagoing vessels flying the European flag or seagoing vessels that only navigate European waters
  • since November 22, 2007 the North Sea and English Channel; applies to all seagoing vessels
  • since July 1, 2009 24  nm coastal area of California ; applies to all seagoing vessels. Special feature: Diesel fuels must not exceed a sulfur mass fraction of 0.5%.
SECA North and Baltic Sea

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d ECAs - What you need to know. (No longer available online.) Sustainableshipping.com, formerly the original ; Retrieved June 7, 2011 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / origin.pmcdn.net  
  2. ↑ IMO: MARPOL, Annex VI. IMO, accessed June 8, 2011 .
  3. ↑ a b BSH: ANNEX VI. (PDF; 4.2 MB) Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, accessed on June 8, 2011 .
  4. ^ Sulfur in fuel requirement as from January 1, 2015 in SECAs
  5. ↑ CEPA: SECA. California Environmental Protection Agency, accessed June 12, 2011 .