All ships 400 gross tonnage (GT) and above engaged in international voyages must develop and keep on board a SEEMP, as set out in the guidelines adopted by the IMO. The SEEMP may form part of the ship’s safety management system and is subject to audit and verification.

Each SEEMP is ship-specific and provides a practical approach for ship owners and operators to manage operations and improve efficiency performance over time. For companies with multiple ships, a comprehensive energy management policy for the company’s fleet can act as a base to form individual SEEMPs for each ship.

Platforms, including floating production storage and offloading units (FPSOs) and floating storage units (FSUs), and drilling rigs are not required to have a SEEMP. 

SEEMP Part I - ship management plan to improve energy efficiency

Part one of the SEEMP is for monitoring and improving the ship’s energy efficiency. It must include an estimate of the current energy consumption of the ship and identify measures to improve the ship’s efficiency, such as:

Setting an efficiency goal is a key part of developing a SEEMP. The goal should create incentive for energy efficiency improvement. The goal can take any form, such as annual fuel consumption or the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator (EEOI)—a monitoring tool developed by IMO to measure the energy efficiency of a ship and assess the impact of operational efficiency measures. 

SEEMP Part II – fuel oil consumption data

Part two of the SEEMP only applies to ships that are 5,000 GT and above and engaged in international voyages. This part of the SEEMP must include a description of how annual fuel oil consumption data for the ship will be collected and reported to their flag State.

SEEMP Part III – ship operational carbon intensity plan (in development)

From 1 January 2023 new requirements will apply to ships that are required to keep part two of the SEEMP. From this date, the SEEMP must detail how the ship’s operational carbon intensity will be calculated and improved under the new short-term MARPOL measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international ships, including:

• the method used to calculate the ship’s attained annual operational Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and processes to report the CII to the ship’s flag State
• the CII for the ship over the next three years, with a plan detailing how this will be achieved
• a process for self-evaluation and improvement
• a plan of corrective actions, if required.

The IMO is currently revising the 2016 Guidelines for the development of a SEEMP, including the development of a new Part III on how the information related to the new short-term greenhouse gas reduction measure will be recorded in the SEEMP. The revised guidelines are expected in mid 2022.

International Energy Efficiency Certificate

All ships 400 GT and above engaged in international voyages must be issued with a ship-specific International Energy Efficiency (IEE) Certificate. This certificate must be available on board for inspections and audits.

The IEE Certificate verifies the ship’s attained Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and confirms that the ship has a SEEMP on board.

The IEE Certificate is valid for the life of the ship.

For new ships, the IEE Certificate is issued during the initial survey before the ship begins operating. For existing ships, the certificate should have been issued following the first intermediate or renewal survey after 1 January 2013.

From 1 January 2023 the IEE Certificate will also verify the ship’s attained Existing Energy Efficiency Index (EEXI). Verfication of the ship’s attained EEXI is to occur following the first annual, intermediate or renewal survey on or after 1 January 2023. Following this verification, ships will be issued or re-isisued with an IEE Certificate in the new format.

Recognised Organisations have been authorised to issue the certificates for Australian ships.

IMO resources on the SEEMP

For further information on the SEEMP requirements, please refer to MARPOL Annex VI and the 2016 Guidelines for the development of a ship energy efficiency management plan (SEEMP) (MEPC.282(70)).