The fluorescent tubes in your accommodation, alleyways and engine room are on a deadline. Under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the fluorescent lamp phase-out happens in two steps. Manufacture, import and export of most fluorescent lamps for general lighting stop from 1 January 2027 for one group, and from 1 January 2028 for the rest. The UAE ratified the convention in April 2015, so these dates apply here too.
The phase-out doesn’t make your existing fittings illegal. It does mean the supply of replacement tubes is about to shrink. So if your ships still run on fluorescent, now is the time to decide what to stock and what to convert.
What the fluorescent lamp phase-out covers, and when
The dates come from Annex A of the convention, as last amended by the Parties in November 2025. Each “phase-out date” in the treaty is the year after which manufacture, import and export are no longer allowed. So a 2026 date means the ban starts on 1 January 2027.
| Lamp type (general lighting) | Treaty phase-out date | Manufacture, import and export banned from |
| High-pressure mercury vapour (HPMV) lamps | 2020 | 1 January 2021 |
| Compact fluorescent, integrated ballast, up to 30 W and up to 5 mg mercury | 2025 | 1 January 2026 |
| Compact fluorescent above 30 W | 2026 | 1 January 2027 |
| Compact fluorescent, non-integrated ballast (pin-base), up to 30 W and up to 5 mg mercury | 2026 | 1 January 2027 |
| Linear fluorescent tubes, halophosphate phosphor, all wattages | 2026 | 1 January 2027 |
| U-bend and circular fluorescent, halophosphate phosphor | 2026 | 1 January 2027 |
| Linear fluorescent tubes, triband phosphor, all wattages | 2027 | 1 January 2028 |
| U-bend and circular fluorescent, triband phosphor | 2027 | 1 January 2028 |
Higher-mercury versions of compact and linear lamps already had a 2020 phase-out date.
Halophosphate or triband: which tubes do you have?
This decides whether your deadline is 2027 or 2028. As a rough guide, tubes with a colour code starting with 8, such as 840 or 865, are triband. Older codes starting with 6 or 7, such as 640 or 765, are usually halophosphate. If you’re not sure, check the maker’s datasheet before you plan around a date.
Does the fluorescent lamp phase-out stop ships using fluorescent lights?
No. The fluorescent lamp phase-out bans manufacture, import and export, not use. Fittings already installed on board can stay in service.
What happens to existing stock depends on national law. Singapore, for example, has said that stock already in the country can still be sold until it runs out. Parties can also register time-limited exemptions. So the exact picture varies from country to country.
The practical effect is the same everywhere, though. Ships buy spares in many ports, and once factories stop and countries stop importing, the supply of tubes will get thinner and less predictable. A ship that relies on picking up tubes wherever it happens to call may find that harder once the fluorescent lamp phase-out starts in 2027.
The mercury lamps people forget: deck floodlights
Fluorescent tubes get the headlines, but they aren’t the only mercury lamps on board. Older deck floodlights often use high-pressure mercury vapour lamps, including mercury reflector types. Blended or self-ballasted mercury lamps count too, because they have a mercury vapour burner inside.
HPMV lamps for general lighting have had a 2020 phase-out date since the treaty was first agreed. If your floodlights still use them, the replacement options are:
- High-pressure sodium lamps. These are not on the Annex A list, but they need a ballast and an ignitor, so the fitting or circuit usually has to change.
- Metal halide lamps, which also need a ballast and an ignitor.
- LED retrofit lamps. These can be much heavier than the lamp they replace, so check that the fitting can take the weight.
- A complete LED floodlight in place of the old fitting.
For most deck lighting we’d lean towards the last option. You fix the lamp problem and the ageing fitting in one job. Our guide to marine LED floodlights for ships, ports and offshore platforms covers what to look for.
Converting to LED before the fluorescent lamp phase-out
LED tubes are not covered by the fluorescent lamp phase-out. CLASP, an appliance efficiency group, puts LEDs at about 40% more energy efficient than fluorescents on average. On a ship where alleyway and engine room lights run all day, that adds up. But a careless conversion creates new problems, so watch these three points.
Ballast-compatible or ballast bypass
Some LED tubes run on the existing ballast. Others need the ballast removed and the lamp holders wired straight to the supply. A bypass conversion is a change to the electrical installation, so have a competent electrician do it and record it. Then label each converted fitting clearly, so nobody puts a fluorescent tube back in later.
Hazardous areas
Do not put retrofit LED tubes into Ex-certified fluorescent fittings. Changing the lamp type can void the fitting’s certification. In a hazardous area, replace the whole fitting with a certified LED one. Our page on explosion-proof light fixtures in the UAE explains the options.
Emergency fittings
Some fittings have an emergency battery pack built around a fluorescent tube. Check with the fitting’s maker whether that emergency unit works with an LED tube before you convert it.
A spares plan for the fluorescent lamp phase-out
- List every fluorescent and mercury lamp type across the fleet: wattage, length, cap and colour code.
- Split the list into halophosphate (2027 deadline), triband (2028) and mercury vapour (already phased out).
- For each space, decide whether to keep fluorescent until the fittings wear out, with a last spares order, or to convert now.
- Convert first where lights run longest, such as engine rooms and alleyways, because that’s where LED saves the most.
- Plan Ex fitting replacements for hazardous areas separately.
- Treat old tubes as hazardous waste. They contain mercury, so land them ashore rather than putting them in general garbage.
If you only do one thing this quarter, do the first step. Most of the later decisions get easy once you know what’s actually fitted.
Frequently asked questions
Are LED tubes affected by the Minamata ban?
No. The convention’s lamp entries cover fluorescent and mercury vapour lamps. LED lamps are not on the list.
Are high-pressure sodium lamps banned?
Not under the convention. They are not on the Annex A list as amended in November 2025. Check national rules if you are importing them.
Can I still use my tubes after the fluorescent lamp phase-out?
Yes. The treaty stops manufacture, import and export after the phase-out dates. It does not stop you using lamps you already hold.
Getting help in the UAE
Oceanic Global Marine Supply in Dubai supplies Ogmax LED T8 tubes in 600 mm and 1,200 mm lengths, industrial LED floodlights and explosion-proof fittings. If you are weighing up the two technologies in general, read our comparison of fluorescent vs LED lighting for marine applications. Or send us your lamp list and we’ll help you work through it.
