Regulation on Reception Facilities as per MARPOL Annex I

 General Requirements:

• This regulation comes under MARPOL Annex I, Chapter 6 - Reception Facilities, Regulation 38.

• Unloading ports receiving substances should have adequate facilities dedicated for such products, allowing the entire tank-cleaning operation to be carried out in the port, and should have adequate reception facilities for the proper discharge and reception of cargo residue and solvents.

• The Government of each party participating in the arrangement shall consult with the Organization, for circulation to the parties of the present Convention:
• How the Regional Reception facilities plan takes into account the Guidelines.
• Particulars of the identified Regional Ships Waste Reception Centers.
• Particulars of those ports with only limited facilities.

Reception facilities outside Special Areas:

• The Government of each party to the present Convention undertakes to ensure the provision at oil loading terminals, repair ports, and in other ports in which ships have oily residue to discharge to the reception facilities from oil tankers and other ships to meet the needs of the ships using them without causing undue delay to ships. 

• Reception facilities under this regulation shall be provided in:
• All ports and terminals in which crude oil is loaded into oil tankers where such tankers have immediately before arrival completed a ballast voyage of not more than 72 hours or more than 1,200 nautical miles.
• All ports and terminals in which oil other than crude oil in bulk is loaded at an average quantity of more than 1,000 tonnes per day.
• All ports having ship repair yards or tank cleaning facilities.
• All ports and terminals which handle ships provided with the oil residue tanks or sludge tanks as required in regulation 12 of this Annex.
• All ports in respect of oily bilge waters and other residues that cannot be discharged according to regulation 15 and regulation 34 of this Annex. 
• All loading ports for bulk cargoes in respect of oil residue from combination carriers cannot be discharged according to regulation 34 of this Annex.

• The capacity of the reception facilities shall be as follows:
• Crude oil terminals shall have sufficient reception facilities to receive oil and oily mixture which cannot be discharged under the provisions of this Annex from all oil tankers.
• Loading ports and terminals shall have sufficient reception facilities to receive oil and oily mixtures which cannot be discharged under the provisions of this Annex from all oil tankers which load oil other than crude oil in Bulk.
• All ports having ship repair yards or tank cleaning facilities shall have sufficient reception facilities to receive all residues and oily mixtures which remain on board for disposal from ships before entering such yards or facilities.
• All facilities provided in the ports and terminals under this regulation shall be sufficient to receive all residues retained on board the ship.
• All facilities provided in the ports and terminals under this regulation shall be sufficient to receive oily bilge waters and other residues which cannot be discharged under regulation 15 of this Annex.
• The facilities provided in loading ports for bulk cargoes shall take into account the special problems of combination carriers as appropriate.

Reception Facilities Within Special Areas:

• The Government of each party to the present Convention the coastline of which borders on any special areas shall ensure that all oil loading terminals and repair ports within the special area are provided with facilities adequate for the reception and treatment of all dirty ballast and tank washing water from oil tankers.

• In addition, all ports within the special areas shall be provided with adequate reception facilities for other residues and oily mixtures from all ships.

• The Reception facilities shall have adequate capacity to meet the needs of the ships using them without causing undue delay to ships. 

• The following rules shall apply to the Antarctic Area:

• The Government of each party to the present convention at whose port ship departs en route to or arrive from the Antarctic area undertakes to ensure that as soon as practicable adequate facilities are provided for the reception of all oil residues (sludge), dirty ballast, tank washing water, and other oily residues and mixtures from all ships, without causing undue delay, and according to the needs of the ships using them.
• The Government of each party to the present Convention shall ensure that all ships entitled to fly their flag, before entering the Antarctic area, are fitted with a tank or tanks of sufficient capacity onboard for the retention of all residue (sludge), dirty ballast, tank washing water and other oily residues and mixtures while operating in the area and have concluded arrangements to discharge such oily residues at a reception facility after leaving the area. 

Reference: IMO Publications & Documents - International Conventions - MARPOL - Annex I