Company Audits of Part III SEEMP 28.08.2023 11:36Verification and company audits by the Administration of part III of the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP).
From 1 January 2023, ships of 5,000 GT (Gross Tonnage) and above must have a verified Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan, or SEEMP Part III, on board to document how their vessel plans to achieve its Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) targets. The CII is a rating system for ships that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) developed. This will be a mandatory measure under MARPOL Annex VI, which comes into force in 2023.
The verification of and the company audits related to the SEEMP may be carried out by the Administration or an organization recognized by it.
Verification of, and company audits related to, the SEEMP do not relieve the company, management, those undertaking delegated SEEMP tasks, officers or seafarers of their obligations as to compliance with those requirements in regulation 28 of MARPOL Annex VI.
The company is responsible for:
.1 informing relevant personnel and those undertaking the delegated SEEMP tasks about the content of the SEEMP;
.2 appointing responsible members of staff to accompany the verifier; and
.3 providing access and evidential materials as requested by the verifier.
The verification and audit process for the SEEMP according to regulation 26.3.3 of MARPOL Annex VI should normally involve the following:
.1 initial verification;
.2 periodical verifications;
.3 additional verifications; and
.4 company audits.
The initial, periodical, additional verifications and company audits should be based on documentary evidence.
The Administration should, in accordance with regulation 26.3.3, perform periodical company audits to:
.1 verify that the SEEMP for which the Confirmation of Compliance has previously been issued complies with regulation 26.3.1 and, in the case of non-compliance, require remedial action;
.2 confirm that the ship is being operated in accordance with SEEMP part III, regardless of its rating;
.3 verify the progress made in the (corrective) actions to be taken in the execution of the three-year implementation plan and the plan of corrective actions;
.4 verify self-assessment and improvement of actions taken; and
.5 verify the assignment of responsibilities related to the implementation and monitoring of measures.
The periodical company audits may include annual audits of the company (company audits) and verifications on board the ship (shipboard audits).
These additional shipboard verifications and company audits, if undertaken, should be six months after the issuance of the Statement of Compliance at the latest.
Verification of implementation aspects of the SEEMP on board (monitoring, self-evaluation and improvements, etc.) could be combined with the ISM audits.
The plan must include a description of how the vessel will operate and maintain its fuel efficiency throughout the year in line with its overall objective of reducing CO2 emissions and meeting its CO2 reduction commitments. SEEMP Part III documentation is in addition to SEEMP Part I and SEEMP Part II.
