IMO Data Collection System (DCS)

In October 2016, MEPC 70 adopted, by resolution MEPC.278(70), the IMO ship fuel oil consumption system (IMO DCS), consisting of requirements for ships to record and report their fuel oil consumption with a view to inform further IMO measures to reduce GHG emissions from ships.

Starting from 1 January 2019, ships of 5,000 GT and above (which produce approximately 85% of the total CO2 emissions from international shipping) are required to collect consumption data for each type of fuel oil they use as well as other specified data.

Since 2023, IMO DCS data is used to calculate ship's operational carbon intensity (CII).

Timeline for submitting data to the DCS

1. The aggregated data is first reported to the flag State after the end of each calendar year.
2. The flag State issues a declaration of compliance to the ship, once it has verified that this data has been reported in accordance with the requirements, by 31 May at the latest.
3. Subsequently the flag State transfers this data to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database by 30 June at the latest.
4. Finally, the IMO produces an annual report to the following MEPC, summarising the data collected from the various flag States.
   

Accessing the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database in GISIS

The IMO Ship Fuel Consumption Database is a module on the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) platform to which Member States have access (Circular Letter No.3827). Fuel oil consumption data can only be submitted by the Administration, or an organization authorized by the Administration to submit data on their behalf.

During the early discussions on the IMO DCS, MEPC agreed that data collected by the Organization, particularly related to transport work, needed to be confidential and not publicly available (MEPC 68/21, paragraph 4.12). On the basis of the reported data submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database, the IMO Secretariat produces an annual report to MEPC which is publicly available. The report and database are anonymised in such a way that identification of a specific ship is not possible.

The reports of fuel oil consumption data submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database can be downloaded from the links above.

Implementation of the DCS

In order for uniform and effective implementation of the regulations, the following guidelines/circular were developed by MEPC:

• 2022 Guidelines for the development of a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) (resolution MEPC.346(78));
• 2022 Guidelines for Administration verification of ship fuel oil consumption data and operational carbon intensity (resolution MEPC.348(78))
• 2022 Guidelines for the development and management of the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database (resolution MEPC.349(78));
• MEPC circular on submission of data to the IMO data collection system of fuel oil consumption of ships from a State not party to MARPOL Annex VI (MEPC.1/Circ.871/Rev.1); and
• Sample format for the confirmation of compliance pursuant to regulation 5.4.5 of MARPOL Annex VI (MEPC.1/Circ.876).

For a uniform and effective implementation of the regulations, guidelines and circulars related to the SEEMP (regulation 26 of MARPOL Annex VI) and the DCS (regulation 27) were developed by MEPC. They are available in the Index of MEPC Resolutions and Guidelines and Circulars related to MARPOL Annex VI under the "Guidelines and Circulars related to MARPOL Annex VI" part.

In addition, the IMO Secretariat issued a "User guidance on the ship fuel oil consumption GISIS module".