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The Liberian Registry is offering tanker owners and operators a VOC Management Plan Review and Approval Service to help them achieve compliance with impending IMO legislation governing air pollution.

By July 1, 2010, all tankers carrying crude oil will be required to implement and maintain on board an approved ship-specific VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) Plan, in accordance with Regulation 15.6 of the revised MARPOL Annex VI.

The VOC Management plan is required in order to obtain a MARPOL International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) certificate.

VOC emissions are air pollutants which need to be controlled in the global effort to reduce the harmful effects of atmospheric pollution.

VOCs from crude oil transports are a mixture of light-end components in crude oil, which can be emitted from oil and oil products during production, processing, loading, transport, unloading and storage. The lightest component, mainly methane, contributes to the greenhouse effect, while the heavier components, mainly propane and butane, contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. The purpose of the VOC Management Plan is to ensure that tankers prevent or minimise VOC emissions, as far as is possible.

The Liberian Registry has put in place a scheme whereby tanker owners and operators whose ship fly the Liberian flag can have their VOC Management Plans expertly and cost-effectively reviewed and approved by the Liberian Administration.

Captain David Pascoe, Senior Vice-President of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, said, “Regulatory compliance is becoming an increasingly onerous task in the shipping industry, and responsible ship registers can take some of the burden off their clients in this respect by adopting a proactive approach to issues such as this. Liberia believes in helping to make shipping a greener industry, and our clients will have full access to the proven global expertise of our dedicated audit and inspection teams in helping them achieve IAPP certification.”

The Liberian Registry is the world’s second largest registry, representing approximately 11 per cent of the world’s oceangoing fleet.

For additional information regarding the Liberian Registry’s review and approval of VOC Management Plans, please contact LISCR’s Safety Department at +1 703 790 3434 or email safety@liscr.com.