Andreas Chrysostomou
IMarEST BALLAST WATER CONFERENCE: LOOKING BEYOND RATIFICATION, DEALING WITH THE REMAINING CHALLENGES
With full ratification of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention imminent, the timing of the 3rd IMarEST Ballast Water Technology Conference is ideal, for it takes place in London on 27 and 28 March, just days before MEPC 66 is held at IMO the following week. It is a topic that is also the subject of a special 5-page article ‘Ballast buy-in’ in the February issue of IMarEST’s ‘MER – Marine Engineers Review’.
With its theme ‘Looking Beyond Ratification, Dealing with the Remaining Challenges’ the IMarEST conference will provide the timely technical and scientific information needed by fleet managers, shipowners and flag and port state control agencies enabling them to rise to the remaining scientific and engineering BWM challenges.
“This is truly an event organised by the industry for the industry, ” says Tom Mackey FIMarEST, Senior Consultant, Hyde Marine Inc and Co-Chairman, IMarEST Ballast Water Expert Group, who will be chairing the two-day conference. “The organisers of the IMarEST Ballast Water Conference are engineers and scientists deeply involved with the development of the IMO BWM Convention and the US Ballast Water Regulations.
“Indeed, IMarEST and its members are uniquely qualified to deal with the full range of ballast water challenges facing the shipping industry, based as they are both in science and engineering. For this reason the conferences in this series have gained a strong reputation. This year’s event will build on that reputation and provide vital information to help decision makers not only understand the challenges, but find the solutions.”
“Tom Mackey really has hit the nail on the head, ” says IMarEST’s Chief Executive David Loosley. “Our members are the prime movers in our conferences, identifying topics and themes ensuring they address topical issues in a highly relevant way; we are extremely grateful for their enthusiasm and commitment.”
The conference day by day
Following a welcome from Andreas Chrysostomou FIMarEST, IMarEST President; Head of Maritime Policy, Department of Merchant Shipping, Cyprus; Immediate Past Chairman, Marine Environment Protection Committee, IMO, and the introduction by Tom Mackey there are two keynote addresses on the first day of the conference.
The first on ‘IMO progress and remaining challenges’ by Arsenio A. Dominguez, Alternate Representative and Technical Adviser, Permanent Mission of Panama to IMO; 2014 Chairman, Marine Environment Protection Committee, IMO. And, the second by Dr David Wright FIMarEST, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland and President, Environmental Research Services; Co-Chairman, IMarEST Ballast Water Expert Group who takes ‘Looking forward to post ratification: Establishing benchmarks in compliance testing by Port State Control’ as his topic.
The first morning continues a session on ‘Regulation and Enforcement’ with a joint presentation on ‘US Regulations and USCG Type Approval’; ‘Status of the IMO BWM Convention’; ‘Current thoughts after ten years on the BWC’; and a panel discussion ‘What still needs to be fixed with the Convention?’.
Following a networking lunch, ‘Regulation and Enforcement’ remains the theme with a panel discussion on ‘Sampling and analysis for compliance and enforcement’, presentations on ‘What is the UV testing challenge under the ETV protocol? What is the current status and the way forward?’ and ‘A scientific review of issues associated with test methods for UV ballast treatment’; and a panel on ‘The UV testing challenge and the availability of USCG accepted facilities’.
The final session of the day looks at ‘Overcoming the Challenges’ with presentations on ‘Ballast water risk management and mitigation’; ‘GloBalTestNet: the need for transparency and harmonization of the testing process for both IMO and the USCG’; ‘Risk assessment based exemptions from ballast water management requirements’; and a technology panel.
The day ends with the Conference Reception at One Great George Street.
Day Two
Howard Fireman, Vice President, ABS will get the second day off to a flying start with his keynote address ‘The Role of Class in BWM’. This is followed by ‘Should IACS move to a uniform approach?’; a Class Panel; ‘BWT by acoustic means – views on environmental acceptability’; Intercomparison of viability methods: Is there one method?’; ‘Is there an alternative to the shipboard treatment of ballast water?’; and a joint presentation on ‘The Retrofit Challenge’ before the networking lunch.
The afternoon starts with ‘The Role of IMO-GloBallast’, continues with an owners and operators panel; and concludes with ‘How should shipping deal with the remaining challenges’.
Strong support
IMarEST Ballast Water Technology Conferences are held under the auspices of the IMarEST Ballast Water Expert Group (BWEG). BWEG membership encompasses all industry stakeholders including representatives of IMO’s GloBallast and the Global Industry Alliance, and the North Sea BW Opportunity Project. Taking advantage of IMarEST’s NGO status at IMO, BWEG regularly participates in the debate on the future direction of international legislation.
Added optional bonus
An added optional bonus for delegates is the opportunity to attend the 111th IMarEST Annual Dinner taking place at the historic City of London Guildhall on the final evening of the conference with Sir Ranulph Fiennes Bt OBE, explorer and author as the after dinner speaker. Attendance is not included in the delegate price for the Ballast Water Technology Conference. “The evening will certainly allow the Ballast Water conversations to continue long into the night, and in spectacular surroundings, ” says Tom Mackey. “Indeed we might even have special BW tables for speakers and delegates for this very purpose.”
Further information
Further information on the Ballast Water Technology Conference is available from www.imarest.org/BWT, and on the Annual Dinner at the Guildhall from www.imarest.org/AnnualDinner and from events@imarest.org and Tel: +44 (0)20 7382 2617/2702.
About the IMarEST
The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) is the leading international membership body and learned society for all marine professionals. The IMarEST is the first Institute to bring together marine engineers, scientists and technologists into one international multi-disciplinary professional body. It is the largest marine organisation of its kind with a worldwide membership of 15, 000 based in over 100 countries.
Working with the global marine community, the IMarEST promotes the scientific development of marine engineering, science and technology, providing opportunities for the exchange of ideas and practices and upholding the status, standards and expertise of marine professionals worldwide.
The IMarEST is a respected authority in every maritime country. It is a Non-Governmental Organisation with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), observer status at the International Oceanographic Commission, and it has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), which facilitates its access to other international intergovernmental meetings where its specialized marine expertise is of particular use, e.g., the United Nations meetings on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) and the work of the International Seabed Authority on marine mining. It is a nominated and licensed body of the Engineering Council (UK), a member of the Science Council and has significant links with many other maritime organisations worldwide.
IMarEST also runs a series of industry leading events and conferences as well as publishing internationally recognised titles: Marine Engineers Review (MER); Shipping World and Shipbuilder; Maritime IT and Electronics; Marine Scientist; and Offshore Technology.
