South Korea is taking steps towards a greener coastline with the introduction of voluntary speed limits and an impending 0.1% emission control area (ECA). The first part of the Special Act on Air Quality Improvement in Port and Other Areas is a voluntary vessel speed reduction program, which took effect last month, with ships that reduce their speeds 20 nautical miles from the country’s top five ports receiving reduced port fees. The next stage of the new law sees the creation of an ECA on September 1 this year whereby ships at anchor in the port areas of Incheon, Pyeongtaek, Dangjin, Yeosu and Gwangyang, Busan and Ulsan must burn fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1%.
