Marine Engineering

 Standards for ballast water management:   ( Regulation D-1) ballast water exchange standard  and   (Regulation D-2) the more stringent ballast water performance standard . These requirements are being implemented in a phased manner and henceforth only the D-2 Regulations will be acceptable after the Convention comes into force on 8 September 2017. Ships performing ballast water exchange shall do so with an efficiency of 95 per cent volumetric exchange of ballast water and ships using a ballast water treatment system (BWTS) shall meet a performance standard ( Regulation D-2) based on agreed numbers of organisms per unit of volume. Regulation D-3 of the BWM Convention requires that ballast water management systems used to comply with the Convention must be approved by the Administration taking into account the Guidelines for approval of ballast water management systems (G8). Regulation D-3 also requires that ballast water management systems which ...

All international going ships under the Convention must implement a ‘Ballast water management plan’ that enables the ship to manage their ballast water and sediment discharge to a certain standard. The plan is designed to meet the requirements for compliance with the Convention and the G4 Guidelines produced by the IMO. It includes standard operational guidance, planning and management, as well as additional details including sampling points and systems.  Additionally, all ships over 400GT must also carry a ballast water record book that details such requirements as the filling and discharge of each tank, according to time, date, location and the treatment applied to the water. Ships that comply with the Convention will receive and are duly required to carry an international ballast water management certificate. To receive a certificate, a ship will have to supply the necessary documentation showing compliance with the Convention and a survey w...

The BWM Convention will enter into force on 8 September 2017. The adoption of all the required 16 Guidelines for the uniform implementation of the BWM Convention and the robust approval and certification procedure of modern ballast water treatment technologies have removed the major barriers to the ratification of the instrument and a number of additional countries have indicated their intention to accede to this Convention in the near future. The following Guidelines relating to the uniform implementation of the BWM Convention have been developed and adopted since MEPC 53: Guidelines for sediment reception facilities (G1) (resolution MEPC.152(55)); Guidelines for ballast water sampling (G2) (resolution MEPC.173(58)); Guidelines for ballast water management equivalent compliance (G3) (resolution MEPC.123(53)); Guidelines for ballast water management and development of ballast water management plans (G4) (resolution MEPC.127(53)); Guidelines for ballast water reception fa...