Which data should be monitoring, reported and submitted?

Each company will be required to produce a ship-specific monitoring plan, which will be used to collect and monitor data on a per-voyage or annual basis, as applicable. The content of the plans could be similar or standardised across a fleet, and as such the plan can be separated into ship-specific and fleet-wide sections.

The monitoring plan is an electronic document in which the company describes the design of the management system that the ship has in place in order to monitor the required parameters and the ship-specific details. There is no requirement to hold the monitoring plan on board the vessel. The content of the monitoring plan is shown in Table 3.

Basic data

Activity data

Data gaps

Management

Ship identification

Methods and procedures for: fuel consumption monitoring, density and uncertainty

For fuel consumption

Check the adequacy of monitoring plan

Company details

Quality assurance of measuring equipment

For distance

Control activities, e.g. IT system

Emission sources and fuel types

Completeness of voyages and distance procedure

For cargo carried

Internal review of data

Emission factors

Cargo/passengers carried and time spent at sea

For time spent at sea

Corrective actions

Procedure for completeness

-

-

Outsourced activities and documentation

The parameters to be monitored and reported include the following: 

  • Port of departure and port of arrival, including the date and hour of departure and arrival
  • Amount and emission factor for each type of fuel consumed
  • CO2 emitted
  • Distance travelled
  • Cargo carried
  • Time spent at sea (excluding anchoring)
  • Transport work 

It should be noted that the amounts of each type of fuel consumed at sea and at port (respectively) should be reported separately.

CO2 will be monitored with reference to the following emissions sources on board:

  • Main engines
  • Auxiliary engines
  • Gas turbines
  • Boilers
  • Inert gas generator 

CO2 emissions will either be calculated based on fuel consumption and use of IMO default emissions factors for the fuel type being consumed, or by direct emissions monitoring, with a back calculation of the fuel consumption using the relevant emissions factor. As part of the monitoring plan, companies will be able to choose one or more of the following four methods for monitoring fuel consumption in each monitored combustion source.

  • Method A – use of bunker delivery notes (BDNs) and periodic stocktakes of fuel tanks (except for those vessels where cargo is used as fuel)
  • Method B – bunker fuel-tank monitoring,
  • Method C – flow meters (including a gas meter for LNG carriers) for applicable combustion processes
  • Method D – direct emission measurements 

A combination of these methods would improve the accuracy of the CO2 emissions measurement for a given combustion source and is permitted. These monitoring methods are goal based and enable shipowners and operators to make use of existing systems on board ships where possible, avoiding the need for investment in new and potentially expensive equipment.

The density of the fuel also needs to be determined through either the BDNs or onboard measurement systems. Alternatively, the density from a company’s independent fuel analysis can be taken.

Reporting periods are defined as calendar years. For voyages starting and ending in two different calendar years, the monitoring and reporting data is to be accounted under the first calendar year. For example, a voyage starting on 21 December 2018 and ending on 10 January 2019 would be included in the 2018 annual report.

At the start of the first monitoring period, it is recommended that a voyage that started in the previous year but concluded in the first monitoring period be included.

Annually, ‘companies’ (International Safety Management DoC holders) must provide a ship-specific emissions report for the previous calendar year’s activity for each ship. This will include the technical efficiency of the ship (the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) or the Estimated Index Value (EIV) in accordance with IMO resolution MEPC.231(65), where applicable) and the aggregated data of the parameters outlined in Table 5. Table 5 shows the parameters to be reported annually.

The emissions report will be submitted to a third-party accredited verifier for verification. The verified report will be submitted to the EU THETIS MRV platform. 
Member states (and flag states) will receive and/ or have access to the emissions report and DoCs of ships flying their flag.

  • Verification involves the inspection and independent confirmation of information related to the: 
  • identification of the company, the ship and the monitoring and reporting system, including the design of processes, systems, risks and controls (this information is to be summarised and referenced in the monitoring plan), and 
  • monitoring and reporting of CO2 emissions and transport work, including documents providing evidence for the reported data points for fuel, distance, time and cargo per voyage, documents demonstrating execution of internal controls, and documents demonstrating adequate calculations, aggregation and consolidation of data.

Is there any guidance on this?

Useful guidance available from the following sources:

You can find detailed information on submissions to THETIS MRV, the Information System to Support Regulation (EU) 2015/57 in the following link: https://www.emsa.europa.eu/thetis-mrv.html

How could Lloyd’s Register assist me further?

For more information and guidance please contact your local office or fill in our Request For Information form. For any technical questions regarding the EU MRV please contact dcsmrv@lr.org