New marine engine emissions standards for Australia

The Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, has announced that Australia is to introduce emissions standards for, among other products, marine engines and associated equipment.  

The following article has been circulated by the Boating Industry Association (BIA), representing the marine industry in Qld, NSW and SA, to articulate its position and the ramifications that the new legislation may have.

As part of the Non-Road Spark Ignition Engine Emissions legislation to be introduced by mid-2016, petrol outboard, inboard and PWC engines will be required to comply with world-standard regulations which aim to limit HC, NOx and CO emissions.  

Also included in the legislation will be standards covering evaporative emissions, requiring boat manufacturers and importers to introduce measures to deal with tank and hose permeation and to prevent fuel spill.

Engine manufacturers have been working for some years to develop and introduce engines, which meet stringent emission regulations around the world, with reductions of more than 50 per cent achieved in the last decade.  

These ‘clean’ engines have always been available in Australia, however until the announcement on December 15, 2015, that Australia’s Environment Ministers established the National Clean Air Agreement, over six months ahead of schedule, Australia has lagged behind most other countries in not having in place measures to require the sale of only low-emission units.

From mid-2016, Australia will adopt the widely respected and embraced USA EPA standards, bringing Australia into line with jurisdictions around the world.  

Engine manufacturers are ready for the new legislation, having had programs in place to comply with US and EU standards for some time. There will likely be some changes to model choices available, although with the legislation expected to provide for some phase-in over the course of FY 2016/17 there shouldn’t be a sudden gap in key market segments.  

The specific detail of phase-in is to be negotiated during the drafting of legislation in the first half of 2016: the engine manufacturers and BIA are closely involved with this work and will be making representation during consultation.

Of particular concern to boat manufacturers and importers, however, will be the requirement for new installations of fuel tanks and systems to meet evaporative emissions standards. This may require modification of hull designs to incorporate additional technology to reduce fuel spill and capture evaporative emissions and the use of low-permeation fuel hose

The equipment necessary is already available in kit form and boat manufacturers should be looking to see how this can be accommodated in current and future designs. Boat manufacturers should also consider whether changes may be required to hull design to accommodate what may be heavier outboard engines.  

The ‘new technology’ or ‘clean’ engines may be 25 per cent or more heavier than models which they replace and loading on the transom must be considered, along with overall payload and handling characteristics. The boat building standard AS 1799 addresses this and most manufacturers would be familiar with the standard.

This article was reprinted from the BIA newsletter. The BIA will be hosting a number of briefing sessions during 2016 and will be communicating advice and guidance from colleagues in the US who have had several years’ experience of working with the EPA standards. Details of workshops and other information sessions will be published early in the New Year. For more information on this topic, contact Nik Parker at nikparker@biaa.com.au.