Ballast Water Management Convention
- Introduction to Ballast Water Management Convention
- International Ballast Water Management Certificate
- Due date for Implementation installing Ballast Water Management System
- Sampling and analysis at the Commissioning test
- Information of Ballast Water Management Convention
- ClassNK Advises Existing Ships to Install Ballast Water Management Systems Early On (Press Realease)
- Existing Ships to Install Ballast Water Management Systems (Updated in September 2019) (Press Realease)
Introduction to Ballast Water Management Convention
According to IMO estimates, ships carry some 3 billion tons to 5 billion tons of ballast water globally each year. 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. The BWM Convention will enter into force on 8 September 2017.
The latest information of ratification status of the Convention can be accessed through "Recent ratifications" in IMO Homepage: IMO / English / About IMO / Conventions / Status of Conventions that allows downloading datasheet of each country.
IMO Homepage Status of Conventions
Ballast water management for ships shall be made in accordance with the following Standards under this Convention.
(1) Ballast water performance standard (Regulation D-2)
(2) Ballast water exchange standard (Regulation D-1)
Finally, ships shall conduct primary method that Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens in ballast water are treated with approved Ballast Water Management System (BWMS).
International Ballast Water Management Certificate (IBWMC)
By the effective date of the convention (8 September 2017), all ships of 400 gross tonnage and above to which the BWM Convention applies (including existing ships, except floating platform, FSUs and FPSOs) are required to possess International Ballast Water Management Certificate.
The below documents are to be kept on board not only ships applied with Regulation D-2 (ballast water performance standard) but also those with only Regulation D-1 (ballast water exchange standard). Since it is expected that a lot of initial survey applications for issuance of the certificate might be rushed into submission to ClassNK before 8 September 2017, please apply well in advance for the initial survey at the earliest opportunity for the smooth issuance.
(1) International Ballast Water Management Certificate (IBWMC)
(2) Approved Ballast Water Management Plan (BWMP)
(3) Ballast Water Record Book (BWRB)
ClassNK implement initial survey to confirm that required documents and equipment are provided onboard, and issue the certificate (IBWMC) on behalf of some flag Administration. Also, prior to the initial survey, it is necessary that the onboard documents and revised drawing be approved; please submit them to ClassNK Machinery Department beforehand. For more details about the abovementioned plans, please refer to ClassNK Technical Information No. TEC-1086. With regard to the survey application, please submit it to our site office in charge of the onboard survey.
Where a ship, which operates only in waters under jurisdiction of a single Party with their permission not to comply with the Convention, operates outside of the area of waters as defined on a single voyage (e.g. for a dry-dock etc.), an exemption may be granted for the ship on the condition that the ship performs ballast water exchange in accordance with an approved Ballast Water Management Plan. The details can be found in the following link:
Due date for Implementation installing Ballast Water Management System
On the 71th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC71) which was held on July 2017, the application schedule of Regulation D-2 (ballast water performance standard) in the convention had been reframed. As the result, the amendment of Regulation B-3 was approved, taken into account of the presupposition that dockyard capacity for retrofitting the system may fall short of the peak demand. The approved amendment is expected to be adopted at MEPC 72 which will be held on April 2018. For more details about the implementation schedule, please refer to ClassNK Technical Information No. TEC-1116.
Ballast Water Management System should be approved by Administrations in accordance with IMO Guidelines (G8/G9) to comply with the Regulation D-2 standard of the Convention. Approval (G8 and G9) list of Ballast Water Management System can be found in the following link:
List of approved Ballast Water Treatment System
For ships engaged in U.S. waters, the Installation of the Ballast Water Management System is to be approved by United States Coast Guard (USCG). The latest information of the approval of Ballast Water Management System by USCG can be found in USCG Homepage:
Sampling and analysis at the Commissioning test
Commissioning test to verify the proper operation of equipment shall be carried out at the installation of any BWMS. MEPC 74 has approved a draft amendment to the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) to conduct commissioning testing so as to demonstrate through representative sampling and indicative analysis that a BWMS is working properly, and this amendment has been adopted at MEPC 75.
According to the amendments, sampling and analysis should be conducted at commissioning testing for BWMS installed on board ships on or after 1 June 2022.
MEPC 75 further adopted amendments to Guidance for the commissioning testing of ballast water management systems (BWM.2/Circ.70/rev.1).
The major revision points are specified below.
- Local ambient water should be used for testing regardless of the organism concentrations in the water.
- Representative samples should be analyzed for the two size classes of organisms, namely ≥ 50 μm, and ≥ 10 μm to < 50 μm, as specified in the D-2 standard, using indicative analysis methods. Analysis for microbes is not required.
Prior to the entering into force of this amendment, following flag administrations require the early implementation so that the sampling analysis to be conducted in accordance with their instructions.
Flag | Instructions by flag administrations | Date |
---|---|---|
Australia | SHIPPING CIRCULAR NO. 01 OF 2019 | 18/Oct/2019 |
Cyprus | Circular No 20/2019 | 02/Dec/2019 |
Singapore | SHIPPING CIRCULAR NO. 09 OF 2019 | 01/Jul/2019 |
Tuvalu | MARINE CIRCULAR MC-3/2016/1 | Feb/2020 |
Greece |
Application of IMO Circular BWM2Circ70 (original) Application of IMO Circular BWM2Circ70 (translated) |
21/May/2020 |
Also, the following flag administrations recommend the early implementation of the sampling analysis.
Flag | Instructions by flag administrations | Date |
---|---|---|
Bahamas | INFORMATION BULLETIN No. 165 | 04/Nov/2019 |
Panama | MERCHANT MARINE CIRCULAR MMC-345 | July/2020 |
Liberia | Implementation, Survey and Certification under the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention) | August/2020 |
Information of Ballast Water Management Convention
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF SHIPS’ BALLAST WATER AND SEDIMENTS, 2004
For general questions about Ballast Water Management Convention, please contact:
NIPPON KAIJI KYOKAI (ClassNK) | |
Mchinery Department, Administration Center Annex, Head Office | |
Address: | 3-3 Kioi-Cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan |
Tel: | +81-3-5226-2023 |
Fax: | +81-3-5226-2024 |
E-mail: | mcd@classnk.or.jp |
For any questions about Ballast Water Management System, Please contact
NIPPON KAIJI KYOKAI (ClassNK) | ||
Material and Equipment Department, Administration Center Annex, Head Office | ||
Address: | 3-3 Kioi-Cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan | |
Tel: | +81-3-5226-2020 | |
Fax: | +81-3-5226-2757 | |
E-mail: | eqd@classnk.or.jp |
Related Pages
- Technical Rules and Guidance Login
- BWM2/Circ.24 (GESAMP-BWMG Application fee)
- MEPC.169(57)
- BWM.2/Circ.13/Rev.3 (G9 Methodology)