The International Maritime Orginisation (IMO), an agency of the United Nations, have announced that the implementation of the new NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) Tier III regulations, which refer to the level of diesel engine emissions in superyachts, will now only come into affect on 1st January 2021 for yachts over 24 metres and under 500GT.
The postponement of the regulations comes after the commissioning of three separate studies by ICOMIA focusing on the design, technical and socio-economic issues associated with the implementation of the regulations. The findings showed that with the current technology available, the regulatory units that would treat exhaust gasses to be installed in engine rooms are simply not compact enough yet, and would lead to a considerable size decrease in guest or other valuable spaces on board yachts in this size range. This resulted in the IMO granting a 5-year delay in order for industry providers to develop compliant equipment that would adhere to these size requirements.
Certain vessels over the 500 GT mark operating in Emission Control Areas (ECA) will still be required to adhere to the Tier III requirements by 1st January 2016, established to limit NOx emissions.
To learn more about the regulation, go here.