World’s Largest Emission Control Area To Be Formed In Northeast Atlantic Ocean

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has approved the creation of the world’s largest Emission Control Area (ECA) in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.

The decision was taken during the 83rd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83) and is set to bring cleaner air and better environmental protection to millions.

The new ECA will come into force by 2027 and will cover the waters of the Faroe Islands, France, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

These regions, which are home to over 190 million people, will not see stricter limits on harmful ship emissions like sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The area will also act as a crucial link between existing ECAs in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and the Mediterranean, as well as the recently approved ones in the Norwegian Sea and Canadian Arctic, creating a nearly continuous zone of emission control across most European waters.

Under the new rules, ships operating in the area will need to use cleaner fuels or adopt better emission technologies.

Research submitted to the IMO by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and Porto University shows that this step could cut SOx emissions by up to 82%, PM2.5 by 64% and black carbon by 36%.

Over time, as newer ships enter service, NOx emissions could drop by up to 71%. These reductions are not only expected to help the environment but also bring big health benefits.

The proposal estimates that the ECA could prevent up to 4,300 premature deaths between 2030 and 2050 and save up to €29 billion in health-related costs.

The new ECA will protect more than just human health. It will also cover over 1,500 marine protected areas, 17 key marine mammal habitats, and 148 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

This wide coverage is expected to bring major benefits to marine biodiversity in the region. According to environmental groups, this development is a turning point.

A shipping expert from a German NGO said that this move would close the gaps between already existing ECAs, creating a nearly complete network of clean shipping zones around Europe.

The expert said that this also ensures fairer competition among shipping companies, as similar standards will apply across most European waters.

It was further noted that civil society across 13 European countries played an important role in pushing for this ECA. Special credit was given to the national government, particularly Portugal, for supporting the move at the IMO level.

One of the concerns is the continued use of heavy fuel oil with exhaust gas cleaning systems, known as scrubbers. These systems remove pollutants from the exhaust but produce contaminated wash water, which is often dumped into the ocean.

Several countries like Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, have already banned such discharges, and groups are now urging for a wider ban on scrubber wash water to avoid undermining the progress made through ECAs.

The new ECA is also likely to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as cleaner fuels and alternative energy sources become more attractive due to stricter regulations.

There will also be a decline in ground-level ozone, which is a secondary greenhouse gas caused by air pollution from ships. Some European waters remain outside the ECA framework.

These include the Spanish Canary Islands, Portuguese Azores and Madeira, and the Black Sea. Environmental groups have pointed out that it’s unfair for people in these regions to still face toxic ship emissions.

They have vowed to continue campaigning for an EU-wide ECA, covering all harmful pollutants including sulfur and nitrogen oxides.

A recent European Maritime Transport Environmental Report 2025 revealed that SOx emissions in existing ECAs have dropped by 70% since 2014, proving that such regulations do work.

Reference: Port News

Source: Maritime Shipping News