the IHS Ballast Water Guide - RWO Marine Water Technology
the IHS Ballast Water Guide - RWO Marine Water Technology
the IHS Ballast Water Guide - RWO Marine Water Technology
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<strong>IHS</strong> Fairplay Solutions <strong>Guide</strong> to <strong>Ballast</strong> <strong>Water</strong> Treatment Systems Sponsored by<br />
Introduction<br />
When ships began using seawater as<br />
ballast over a century ago it is unlikely<br />
that anyone foresaw that <strong>the</strong> practice<br />
would be blamed for spreading alien<br />
species around <strong>the</strong> world’s oceans or that<br />
ballast would have to undergo treatment<br />
to prevent species migration.<br />
But that is exactly what has happened.<br />
While <strong>the</strong> shipping industry cannot be blamed<br />
for every transfer of marine organisms, it<br />
must recognise it has a duty to protect fragile<br />
ecologies while continuing to benefi t from <strong>the</strong><br />
advantages that using water ballast can bestow<br />
on vessel operations.<br />
<strong>Ballast</strong> water allows vessels to operate<br />
effi ciently when empty or part-loaded and<br />
permits stability to be managed. It can be a<br />
useful tool that enables underwater repairs<br />
to be undertaken without drydocking and<br />
in preventing pollution through altering a<br />
damaged ship’s attitude in <strong>the</strong> water.<br />
The IMO approved <strong>the</strong> International <strong>Ballast</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> Management (BWM) Convention<br />
in 2004, which, when enough ratifying<br />
signatures have been added, will aff ect almost<br />
all vessels over 400gt. Inevitably, owners<br />
will face extra costs in complying with <strong>the</strong><br />
convention, mostly without any obvious<br />
benefi t in return. Never<strong>the</strong>less, careful<br />
selection of an appropriate system, whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
as a retrofi t or a newbuilding installation, may<br />
allow some of <strong>the</strong> costs to be off set.<br />
More than 40 systems are at or close to<br />
commercialisation using one or more methods<br />
– mechanical, physical and chemical – to<br />
treat <strong>the</strong> ballast water. Most will result in a<br />
big reduction in sediment in ballast tanks,<br />
benefi ting operators through an increase in<br />
cargo-carrying ability. The legislation also<br />
off ers an opportunity to replace ineffi cient<br />
Malcolm<br />
Latarche<br />
Editor<br />
Owners appear to be<br />
delaying installation<br />
while <strong>the</strong>y weigh <strong>the</strong><br />
various options that<br />
are emerging<br />
pumping and piping systems, since many<br />
existing pumps may not be up to <strong>the</strong> task.<br />
That <strong>the</strong> convention remains unratifi ed is a<br />
combination of some fl ag states objecting to<br />
<strong>the</strong> testing and sampling procedures that will<br />
be used to police <strong>the</strong> operation and o<strong>the</strong>rs not<br />
convinced that suffi cient systems are yet at a<br />
stage ready for installation on board. Owners<br />
appear to be delaying installation while <strong>the</strong>y<br />
weigh <strong>the</strong> various options that are emerging .<br />
Manufacturers may off er incentives for early<br />
orders to recoup some of <strong>the</strong>ir R&D costs and<br />
some have guaranteed that systems still to be<br />
approved will ei<strong>the</strong>r be made to comply or <strong>the</strong>y<br />
will refund <strong>the</strong> cost should <strong>the</strong>y not do so.<br />
Operators should also consider carefully<br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r shipyards will be able to accommodate<br />
<strong>the</strong> rush to install equipment when <strong>the</strong> retrofi t<br />
deadlines arrive. Not only are equipment prices<br />
sure to rise but also any delay in fi nding yard<br />
capacity could hit earnings hard.<br />
4 © <strong>IHS</strong> Global Limited 2012<br />
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