New ships need not be fitted with a Stage V engine until 1 January 2022. The European Parliament has agreed to this postponement as a concession for inland navigation vessels currently under construction that have suffered delays in their completion due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was announced by Dutch trade organisation Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT).
Last year, NMT joined forces with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and Lloyd’s Register to obtain an extension of the Stage V transition period for engines over 300 kW for inland vessels whose construction had been delayed by Covid-19.
This has now been achieved as the European Parliament and the European Council have both agreed to a six-month extension of the Stage V transition period for the installation of engines over 300 kW. In concrete terms, this means that ships newly commissioned will not have to be fitted with Stage V engines until 1 January 2022.
Newbuild ships, which have a (provisional) certificate by 31 December 2021, may still have CCRII engines installed. For newly built ships that are still under construction, of which the construction has suffered delays due to the pandemic, this means an extra six months to enter service.
Also read: Belgian engine builder ABC first to receive EU Stage V emission certificate
