On March 29, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, called as Intertanko, have laid out standards and procedures on how to handle BWMS at various ports and also intends to submit the plan to IMO.
Intertanko director Tim Wilkins told S&P Global Platts said, “Since the Ballast Water Management Convention came into force last September, port-states have not been homogeneous in dealing with contingencies where ship operators were unable to carry out ballast water exchange”.
He further added, “What’s happened in the last six months, [is that] it has exposed some of the shortcomings in the technology, the type of crew technology and the readiness of port states to react uniformly in dealing with these situations”.
Difficulty in handling BWM systems
According to Tim Wilkins. Nearly 60% of its members who have installed BWM systems, have reported difficulty in operating them, or have conveyed that the system does not work. The organisation comprises of 205 members, whose combined fleet has close to 3,805 tankers. A uniform approach would make the shipping industry more efficient.
Contingency measures drafted
Intertanko has drawn up nine contingency measures, which includes fixing the BWM system at the ballast loading port, fixing the system enroute to the port, and performing a mid-ocean ballast water exchange, or retain ballast water onboard.
Intertanko said it requires its members to show port authorities why the system failed, provide a history of the maintenance of the system, and point out whether efforts have been made to liaise with manufacturers on getting the system fixed.
About BWMS
The International Maritime Organization’s Ballast Water Management Convention came into force on September 8, 2017 with the aim of mitigating this transfer. The vessels should comply with the D1 or D2 standards.
D1 standard
The D1 standard requires ships to carry out a ballast water exchange, and specifies the volume of water that must be replaced. This standard involves exchanging the discharge water taken from the last port, with new sea water. The exchange must occur at a minimum of 200 nautical miles from shore.
D2 standards
The D2 standard is more stringent and requires the use of an approved ballast water treatment system. The system must ensure that only small levels of viable organisms remain left in water after treatment so as to minimise the environmental impact of shipping.
Did you subscribe for our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Platts
