International classification society RINA has completely revised and updated its guidance on the Ballast Water Convention and the procurement, installation, operation and certification of Ballast Water Treatment Systems. The guidance is now available to shipowners, shipyards and equipment manufacturers as a Technical Bulletin.
Dino Cervetto, Director of Technical Services, RINA Services, says, “The IMO Ballast Water Convention is almost certainly going to come into force in 2016. Following the recent ratifications if the IMO confirms that the trigger point has been reached, the BWM Convention will enter into force on 24 November 2016. Owners need to make themselves aware of major impending changes to ballast water regulation and RINA’s guidance will help them with that.”
The BWM Convention imposes a challenging ballast water discharge standard. In response to this, a number of technologies have been developed and commercialized by different manufacturers. These systems have to be tested and approved in accordance with the relevant IMO Guidelines.
In addition to the IMO, other national bodies have introduced regulations in response to national concerns. The most influential of these is the United States Coast Guard (USCG), which has established both regulations and guidelines to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species into US waters.
The US and IMO BWM Convention requirements impose technical and operational challenges on shipowners, shipyards and equipment manufacturers.
RINA’s Technical Bulletin “Ballast Water Convention and Ballast Water Treatment Systems Guidance on procurement, installation, operation and certification” gives an overview of the BWM Convention and US requirements and provides detailed information on the implementation dates for both of them, taking into account the USCG official interpretations and clarifications. An extensive part of the Bulletin guides owners and operators in preparing for this implementation, including what to consider when selecting, procuring and installing a ballast water treatment system in order to ensure compliance with the applicable rules and interpretations.
For a copy of the Guidance viewers can e mail dino.cervetto@rina.org or contact your local RINA office.
RINA Services is the RINA group company which delivers ship classification, and testing, inspection and certification services. www.rina.org
RINA is a multi-national group which delivers verification, certification, conformity assessment, marine classification, environmental enhancement, product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries and services. RINA operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Construction, Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture, Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business Governance. With a turnover of over 330 million Euros in 2014, over 2, 750 employees, and 163 offices in 60 countries worldwide, RINA is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. www.rinagroup.org
