Global ballast water regulations have been introduced to address serious economic, ecological and human problems caused by invasive species transported across the world via ships’ ballast water. As these regulations are maturing, Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) are becoming a legal prerequisite to global trade.
Both the IMO and USCG provide clear standards for treatment that must be met. This standard is utilised by classification societies as they certify BWMS, providing shipowners clarity on the exact specification of the system they must install to be compliant. On paper, this makes ballast water simple for shipowners.
This is undeniably true in one respect – it will soon be a legal requirement for any ship engaged in international trade to have a certified way of treating ballast water onboard. The date of this requirement coming into force depends on the age of a vessel, corresponding to their next scheduled survey. This has created a natural glut of vessels requiring retrofits over the next few years, which is being heightened further by the extensions that some authorities have granted during the COVID-19 crisis. This glut creates two issues for shipowners in ensuring compliance today – securing an appropriate BWMS system, and ensuring that the system remains operationally compliant.
As bottlenecks look likely, thorough planning is key
A glut of ships requiring retrofits was always expected to lead to bottlenecks at shipyards as owners secure BWMS from 2021. This was true before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the regional and national lockdowns that came along with it, but has been heightened as shipowners have been permitted to delay retrofits. Without proper planning, these bottlenecks could mean shipowners facing expensive layups for their vessels.
Demand outstripping capacity at shipyards is a clear problem for owners. This risk can be mitigated by securing places in advance and putting together timelines around business priorities. Without proper planning, layups or inflated prices are inevitable.
Similar issues are already prevalent in some areas with spare parts and maintenance. This expansion of demand, coupled with the logistical challenges caused by travel restrictions, has left some suppliers unable to provide adequate quantities of parts. At the same time, these restrictions and supply shortages are making it difficult to secure maintenance.
Navigating the challenges requires more engaged planning, which continues even after a system has been fitted. Securing continual access to spare parts and access to maintenance across regions requires robust technical and supply chain planning.
Dimitrios Tsoulos
Ensuring compliance after delivery
Investing in an approved BWMS is not a guarantee of continued compliance in all situations after that date. A system must continually treat ballast water to the IMO’s D-2 standard or the USCG’s approved standard in operation. This means that it must be operated correctly, it must be reliable, and it must be appropriate for use in the specific conditions needed for a vessel.
The first issue many in the industry have faced involves training. Good crew training is one of the most important tools in a shipowner’s arsenal for ensuring compliance, as it enables a crew to confidently operate and maintain a BWMS, and means they are less likely to make mistakes or misinterpret data – and makes it possible for crew members to recognise issues with a system.
When done well, training helps crew members solve problems using a broad understanding of USCG and IMO regulations. Being able to discover, understand and effectively communicate issues with relevant authorities if they arise is invaluable in working under the current regime.
Yet training has become a significant administrative challenge, with over 100 different models of BWMS on the market with different operating manuals, and global travel restrictions making it difficult to secure availability for training. Securing and maintaining knowledge of a system throughout crew changes extends to ensuring that detailed records are kept for each relevant crew member and training is continually updated.
Inappropriate crew training is likely to be one of the next areas that authorities seek compliance action over. It is easy for them to prove when a crew has not received proper training, and it is a shipowner’s prerogative to ensure that crew have the right to training to ensure that an otherwise functioning BWMS is operated in compliance with the regulations.
To support shipowners, De Nora offers and arranges training for shipowners who have installed a BALPURE® system as part of our aftercare. Where there is still an added need for recordkeeping, this approach removes some of the administrative hurdle shipowners have faced – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yet, even with the best training there is always the potential for problems to go undetected. Often, BWMS issues are not clear upon a visual inspection, while the industry cannot expect crew be experts in marine biology when circumstances dictate more specialist knowledge than it is reasonable to call on someone to know.
Remote Condition Monitoring is thus becoming an essential part of any shipowner’s ballast water compliance plans and procedures. De Nora BALPURE systems come with Remote Condition Monitoring as standard, allowing De Nora system experts to read and analyse system data remotely. This allows these system specialists to provide detailed guidance and feedback to crew and implement preventive or corrective maintenance in collaboration with them to reduce the risk of failure.
Keeping risk under control
Comprehensive planning is the only sure fire way that shipowners can reduce their exposure to the risk of costly lay ups. Failing to secure space in a shipyard for a retrofit today will inevitably lead to complications as the market experiences bottlenecks at a later point. The same is true for training, spare parts, and maintenance.
This planning will not end once a system has been installed and travel restrictions have ended. Instead, overcoming the administrative and technical hurdles now created will require a more forward thinking approach.
BWMS suppliers have a responsibility to help shipowners deliver on this. At De Nora, we provide this support openly and honestly throughout the process – from the design of the installation to onboard condition monitoring.
Market conditions are incredibly challenging right now, especially in markets where margins have tightened in recent months. Ballast water regulations have the potential to add significant additional costs when shipowners are hurting most, and it is vital that ballast water suppliers support the industry today by acting as a trusted partner. Similarly, it is important that shipowners mitigate their risk through forward planning.
Source: De Nora, By Mr. Dimitrios Tsoulos, Regional Sales Manager EMEA, De Nora Water Technologies