Ballast Water Management Convention
ClassNK Actions for Ballast Water Management Convention
The IMO developed and adopted “The International Convention for The Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004” (Ballast Water Management Convention) with the aim of protecting the marine environment from the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water carried by ships.
According to IMO estimates, ships carry some 3 billion tons to 10 billion tons of ballast water globally each year.
Currently 22 counties representing a combined tonnage of about 23% of the world’s merchant fleet have ratified the convention. The convention will come into effect 12 months after 30 countries representing a combined total gross tonnage of more than 35% of the world’s merchant fleet have ratified it. The pace of ratification has picked up recently, with 4 countries representing 8% of the gross tonnage of the global merchant fleet having ratified the convention since the beginning of the 2009. Another two or three countries are expected to ratify the convention in the coming year.
More details regarding the Ballast Water Management Convention and related ClassNK activities can be found in the following documents and links:
ClassNK fall 2009 technical seminar on the Ballast Water Convention 
(Currently, in Japanese only)
Guidelines on the Installation of Ballast Water Treatment Systems
List of approved Ballast Water Treatment System
Information of Ballast Water Management Convention
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF SHIPS’ BALLAST WATER AND SEDIMENTS, 2004
Guidelines G1-G14 of Ballast Water Management Convention
- GUIDELINES FOR SEDIMENT RECEPTION FACILITIES (G1)
- GUIDELINES FOR BALLAST WATER SAMPLING (G2)
- GUIDELINES FOR BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT EQUIVALENT COMPLIANCE (G3)
- GUIDELINES FOR BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT PLANS (G4)
- GUIDELINES FOR BALLAST WATER RECEPTION FACILITIES (G5)
- GUIDELINES FOR BALLAST WATER EXCHANGE (G6)
- GUIDELINES FOR RISK ASSESSMENT UNDER REGULATION A-4 OF THE BWM CONVENTION (G7)
- GUIDELINES FOR APPROVAL OF BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (G8)
- PROCEDURE FOR APPROVAL OF BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS THAT MAKE USE OF ACTIVE SUBSTANCES (G9)
- GUIDELINES FOR APPROVAL AND OVERSIGHT OF PROTOTYPE BALLAST WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMMES (G10)
- GUIDELINES FOR BALLAST WATER EXCHANGE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS (G11)
- GUIDELINES ON DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TO FACILITATE SEDIMENT CONTROL ON SHIPS (G12)
- GUIDELINES FOR ADDITIONAL MEASURES REGARDING BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT INCLUDING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS (G13)
- GUIDELINES ON DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR BALLAST WATER EXCHANGE (G14)
E-Mail: eqd@classnk.or.jp