OGV Fuel Regulation Research Exemption Executive Orders
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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) may grant temporary research exemptions that allow the use of non‑compliant marine fuel to support testing and research activities under the Ocean‑Going Vessel (OGV) Fuel Regulation. These exemptions are limited in scope and duration and must demonstrate a clear research purpose that advances emissions reduction strategies, compliance understanding, or technology validation.
The table below includes the research exemption request, the associated test plan, CARB’s response, and the Executive Order for each research exemption granted by CARB.
| Date of Request (newest to oldest) | Company Name | Vessel Type and Name | Description and letter for request/testing | CARB Response | Executive Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/10/2026 | ONE | Container, ONE Harbour | ONE has agreed to permit this research to be conducted aboard the ONE Harbour, focusing on evaluating emissions from the main engine, diesel generators, and auxiliary boiler under various operating conditions at berth and in transit. The study will utilize two fuel types: marine gas oil (MGO) and a blended fuel consisting of 30% biodiesel (B30) and 70% MGO. The primary objective is to perform emission testing to better characterize off‑cycle (low‑load) emissions from a Tier I OGV and to evaluate how emissions change when the vessel operates on the B30/MGO blend compared with CARB‑compliant 0.1% sulfur MGO. | Link to CARB Response | Link to Executive Order |
| 1/19/2026 | Disney | Cruise, Disney Wonder | Disney Cruise Line has agreed to permit this research to be conducted aboard the Disney Wonder, focusing on evaluating emissions from the main propulsion engines and auxiliary boilers under various operating conditions, utilizing two fuel types: marine gas oil (MGO) and a renewable diesel blend (R99, 99% renewable diesel), specifically Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). The primary objective is to perform emission testing to better characterize off-cycle (low load) emissions from a pre-Tier OGV and to evaluate how emissions change when the vessel operates on HVO compared with MGO. | Link to CARB Response | Link to Executive Order |
| 7/6/2022 | Maersk | Container, Gerner Maersk | Maersk conducted on-vessel stack gas testing to demonstrate the effectiveness of two remote-sensing technologies for determining and enforcing fuel sulfur limits. The approved project included testing of the main engine on the Gerner Maersk ocean-going container vessel while switching between CARB-compliant fuel (0.1 percent sulfur distillate fuel) and very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) (0.5 percent sulfur fuel oil). | Link to CARB Response | Link to Executive Order |
If your company is interested in obtaining a research exemption from CARB to test fuels that are not defined as alternative fuels under the OGV Fuel Regulation, please contact ogvfuelrule@arb.ca.gov for more information.