16/2021 - The United Kingdom scheme for Monitoring, Reporting and Verifying carbon dioxide emissions from ships

Applicability: Shipowners, ship operators and ship managers. All vessels over 5,000 GT on voyages between United Kingdom (UK) and non-European Economic Area (EEA) ports and vice versa, between UK ports, and from vessels at berth in a UK port.

Further to LR Class News 24/2020, the UK Government has now released its guidance on the application of the UK scheme for monitoring, reporting and verifying (MRV) carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.  

The type of vessels within scope of the UK MRV regime and type of emissions data for collection are the same as those under the EU MRV regime.

To avoid duplication of the collection of CO₂ emissions data, voyages between the UK and EEA ports, and vice versa, will not be expected to be reported under the UK MRV regime. Data on these voyages should continue to be submitted to the European Commission under the EU MRV regime.

Voyages between a port in the UK and a port in one of the UK Overseas Territories or Crown Dependencies (such as the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Jersey), or vice versa, are considered to be a voyage to or from a non-EEA port and the associated data would be included within the UK scheme. 

Background

Although the UK is no longer part of the EU MRV regime, UK legislation SI 2018/1388 has retained and amended EU legislation, so that it establishes a UK MRV regime to monitor, report and verify CO₂ emissions data from ships calling at UK ports. However, the requirements of the UK and EU MRV regimes are essentially the same.

What Lloyd’s Register (LR) clients should do now

LR clients should use the next few months to prepare their systems and procedures to begin collecting emissions data for the 2022 reporting period (data for the 2021 reporting period is not expected to be collected or reported). 

By 31 October 2021:

• Review and amend the monitoring plan to ensure it covers the separate requirements of the UK MRV Scheme.
• Submit the revised monitoring plan to LR to allow the assessment to be completed before the end of 2021.

By 31 December 2021 LR clients will need to:

• Ensure that their onboard systems are able to collect and record data separately for the EU and UK MRV Scheme.
• Ensure that an assessed monitoring plan is in place.

From 1 January 2022:

• LR clients will need to record CO₂ emissions in accordance with the monitoring plan for voyages under the UK MRV scheme.

By 15 February 2023 and each subsequent year:

• LR clients will need to submit their CO₂ emissions data collected over the previous reporting year to LR for verification.

By 30 April 2023 and each subsequent year:

• LR will submit the verified data to the UK MRV database.

By 30 June 2023 and each subsequent year:

• LR clients will need to have a Document of Compliance for the UK MRV scheme covering the previous reporting year on board.

Monitoring plan

An assessed UK MRV monitoring plan needs to be in place on ships by the end of 2021. 

LR is suitably accredited to assess monitoring plans on behalf of the UK.

UK MIN 669 indicates that “those ship operators with an existing monitoring plan which conforms to the EU MRV regime, may use their existing plan – appropriately modified if necessary – for both the EU and the UK MRV regime. For example, a modification may be needed to indicate which voyages will be reported under the UK MRV regime.”

From 1 January 2022, ship operators must submit a monitoring plan for any newly acquired vessels to LR for assessment no later than two months after the ship’s first call to a UK port. 

Recording CO₂ emissions data

Each ship must have its CO₂ emissions monitored, and its data collected, in accordance with its assessed monitoring plan for each reporting period, ready for verification by LR.

CO₂ emissions records verification

Emissions data for voyages between UK and non-EEA ports and vice versa, between UK ports, and from vessels at berth in a UK port, will need to be submitted to LR following the end of each reporting period. The UK Administration recommend that the UK MRV emissions report should be submitted to LR by 15 February each year, however earlier submission is welcome.

By 30 April, following each reporting period, LR will submit a verified emissions report to the UK Administration covering the previous reporting period.

Document of Compliance (DoC)

Following the verification of CO₂ emissions records, a valid UK DoC will be needed onboard ships from 30 June 2023 for voyages subject to the UK MRV regime in the previous reporting period (2022). 

A DoC issued under the EU MRV regime and which covers voyages between the UK and EEA ports is recognised as an equivalent to a UK DoC for those voyages only.

Further information

For further information, please visit our website or contact dcsmrv@lr.org