IMO POLLUTION PREVENTION AND RESPONSE (PPR 12)
The Twelfth Session of the IMO Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) Sub-Committee was held from January 27 to January 31, 2025, in London, where key issues related to marine pollution prevention were discussed. The Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) Sub-Committee addresses all matters related to pollution prevention and response within the purview of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This scope includes all annexes of the MARPOL Convention, control and management of harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water and ship sediment, biofouling, anti-fouling systems, preparedness, response, and cooperation for oil spills and hazardous and noxious substances, as well as safe and environmentally friendly ship recycling.
Lloyd’s Register (LR) released a detailed publication on the topics discussed during the Sub-Committee meeting. According to LR, the key outcomes from PPR 12 included:
- PPR agreed with MEPC.2/Circ.30 on the Provisional Classification of Liquids under MARPOL Annex II and the IBC Code prepared by the ESPH Technical Group, issued in December 2024.
- Agreement on the Interim Guidelines for the carriage of biofuel blends and MARPOL Annex I cargoes in conventional fuel oil tanks, expected to be approved by MEPC 83 in April 2025.
- Finalization and adoption of the draft Guidelines for the underwater cleaning of ships to control biofouling, which will now be presented to MEPC 83 for adoption.
- Approval of the draft 2025 Guidelines for Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Systems, expected to be adopted by MEPC 83 in April 2025.
- Finalization of the draft 2025 Action Plan to address marine plastic litter from ships, along with updates to the action group and priority order, and amendments to Annex 1 of MEPC.341(77) Strategy for addressing marine plastic litter from ships. Both items will be presented to MEPC 83 for adoption and approval.
- Approval of the draft amendments to Annex 6 of the 2023 MEPC.379(80) Guidelines for the development of Inventory of Hazardous Materials, reflecting different cybutryne thresholds between wet paint and hull samples.
The summary from Lloyd’s Register can be found here: https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/LR-PPR-12-Summary-Report-2025_01.pdf
