South Africa, MARPOL, environment, emissions, regulations, Annex VI Home Publications Articles SOUTH AFRICA: New Marine Notices from the South African Maritime Safety Authority SOUTH AFRICA: New Marine Notices from the South African Maritime Safety Authority Publications Steamship Mutual Published: April 09, 2019 Contact author Download article pdf Image South Africa correspondents Shepstone Wylie have alerted the Club to two Marine Notices recently published by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (“SAMSA”): (a) 8 of 2019 , to advise of the global implementation of the MARPOL Annex VI limit of 0.50 mass per cent concentration (0.50% m/m) sulphur content in fuel oil, for all ships, from 1 January 2020; and (b) 9 of 2019 , which provides a standard format for reporting fuel oil non-availability as provided in regulation 18.2.4 of MARPOL Annex VI that may be used to document if a ship is unable to obtain fuel oil compliant with the provisions stipulated in regulations 14.1.3, 14.4.3 and 18.3 of MARPOL Annex VI. They would particularly like to draw Members’ attention to the following points arising from the new notices: Ships installed with exhaust gas cleaning systems (“scrubbers”) can continue to burn high-sulphur bunker fuel from 2020 and comply with the 0.5% sulphur limit and until further notice South Africa accepts all types of approved scrubbers. South Africa has no restrictions on ships using LNG or Marine Biofuels when entering South African waters. The International Bunker Industry Association has expressed confidence that low sulphur fuel oil will be available in South African ports by 1 January 2020. All ships that operate in South African waters will be required to be in compliance with the Annex VI fuel oil sulphur standard. If a ship is found not to be in compliance with the standards for compliant fuel oils, SAMSA will be entitled to require the ship to: (a) present a record of the actions taken to attempt to achieve compliance; and (b) provide e