QUESTION 10.2.3

Exhaust-gas cleaning system compliance and operation

Oil, Chemical, LPG, LNGEngine Room, Engine Control Room, Chief Engineer's Office

What is being checked

The inspector is checking whether the fitted EGCS is approved, monitored, calibrated and operated within MARPOL and local discharge restrictions, with failures and residues controlled transparently.

Ready onboard

0/6 complete

APPROVAL FILEThe approved EGCS technical manual, monitoring manual, SOx compliance plan and relevant certificate entries are current and onboard.MONITORINGRequired SO2/CO2 ratio, wash-water parameters, position, time and system status data are recorded and retained.CALIBRATIONGas and wash-water sensors, analysers and flow or pressure instruments are maintained and calibrated under the approved scheme.LOCAL LIMITSVoyage planning identifies ports and waters where open-loop discharge or EGCS operation is restricted.FAILURE RESPONSEMalfunction, exceedance or data loss triggers compliant fuel use, notification, recording and repair under the approved procedure.RESIDUESEGCS residues are retained and delivered ashore with records; they are not discharged at sea or mixed improperly.

Practice questions

Answer aloud, then open the preparation point.

1How do you confirm the ship is complying at this moment?

Show the operating mode, valid sensor readings, position, applicable discharge rule and corresponding continuous-monitoring record.

2What do you do if the SO2/CO2 monitor fails?

Apply the approved malfunction procedure, change to compliant fuel when required, record and notify the relevant administration or port authority.

3Where is open-loop discharge prohibited on this voyage?

Use the current company port database or authority notices and show how the restriction is built into the voyage and fuel plan.

4How are EGCS residues handled?

Transfer to the designated tank, record quantity and dispose to an appropriate reception facility with receipt.

5What calibration evidence is available?

Trace each critical analyser to its approved verification, calibration, maintenance status and any replacement sensor record.

Where an observation may arise

LOCAL BREACH

Wash water was discharged where prohibited or restricted.

MONITOR FAILURE

A required analyser or data recorder was unreliable without compliant fallback.

MANUAL MISMATCH

Onboard procedures or approved manuals do not match the installed system or approval scheme.

RESIDUE DISPOSAL

Residues lack controlled storage and shore-disposal evidence.

UNRECORDED EXCEEDANCE

A malfunction or limit exceedance was not logged, notified or corrected.

Master's practical note

Start with the ship's present position and operating mode. EGCS readiness is not only mechanical; the same discharge may be acceptable in one jurisdiction and prohibited in the next.

Equipment boundary and references

Equipment boundary: This question applies only where an EGCS is fitted. Local wash-water restrictions may be stricter than MARPOL and can change; the latest coastal and port requirements must be checked for each voyage.

References

OCIMF SIRE 2.0 Question Library Part 2, Version 1.0, Question 10.2.3
MARPOL Annex VI regulations 4 and 14
IMO Resolution MEPC.340(77), 2021 Guidelines for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems
MEPC.1/Circ.883/Rev.1, EGCS malfunction guidance
MEPC.1/Circ.899 and MEPC.1/Circ.900

Last reviewed: 2026-09-10