Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, adopted at the IMO’s recent MEPC 82 meeting and due to enter into force on 1st March, 2026, designated the Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea as new Emission Control Areas (ECAs).
The Northeast Atlantic Ocean will also be designated as an ECA following MARPOL amendments to be approved at MEPC 83.
According to a note from DNV, ECAs seek to reduce air pollution by nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), to safeguard the environment in these sensitive regions, and improve public health.
The Canadian Arctic ECA will extend the existing North American ECA to include all of Canada’s Arctic waters.
The Norwegian Sea ECA will extend the existing North Sea ECA, beginning at 62 deg north and covering the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) up to 200 nautical miles beyond the territorial sea, reaching the Russian border.
Both the Canadian Arctic and the Norwegian Sea ECA for SOx and PM will take effect on 1st March 2027, one year after the amendments entered into force. From that date, fuel used in these ECAs must have an SOx content of less than 0.1%, unless an exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) is utilised to achieve equivalent SOx emission levels.
The Canadian Arctic ECA for NOx was based on the construction (keel-laid) date, which was agreed to be 1st January, 2025. This implies that ships with keels laid on or after this date must use Tier III certified engines when operating in the Canadian Arctic ECA, effective from 1st March, 2026.
The Norwegian Sea ECA for NOx will follow the ‘three-date’ principle commonly used in MARPOL Annex I.
This approach considers the contract date, construction (keel-laid) date and delivery date. By implementing this principle, ships can no longer circumvent Tier III engine NOx certification requirements by advancing the keel laying before the application date.
For the Norwegian Sea ECA, this means that ships with building contracts placed on or after 1st March, 2026, or without a building contract, but with keels laid on or after 1st September, 2026, or are delivered on or after 1st March, 2030, must operate Tier III-certified marine diesel engines within the ECA.
Pending adoption, MEPC 83 approved MARPOL Amendments to include the Northeast Atlantic as an ECA for NOx, SOx and PM. This ECA is scheduled for adoption at the extraordinary MEPC session in October, 2025 and is expected to enter info force in 2027.
It will basically cover the EEZs and territorial seas of Portugal, Spain, France, the UK, Ireland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark (Greenland) that are not already part of any existing ECAs. The EEZs adjacent to Madeira, the Azores and Canary archipelagos are not included.
This will create a continuous ECA across the Northeast Atlantic, connecting the Canadian Arctic, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea ECAs.
While the 0.1% sulphur limit for fuel will take effect in 2028, one year after adoption, the requirement for NOx Tier III engine certification is expected to apply to ships contracted on or after 1st January, 2027, or in the absence of a building contract, constructed (keel-laid) on or after 1st July, 2027, or delivered on or after 1st January, 2031.
Meanwhile, the Mediterranean Sea ECA for SOx and PM will officially come into effect on 1st May, 2025.
From this date, the sulphur content of the fuel used on board vessels operating within the Mediterranean Sea ECA must not exceed 0.1%, unless an exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) capable of achieving an equivalent SOx emission level is utilised.
DNV said that by having access to compliant fuel, and implementing effective fuel changeover procedures will enhance efficiency and prevent non-compliance.
