The next meeting of the Marine Environment Protect Committee will be asked to grant final approval for the HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering HiBallast 2.0 ballast water management system (BWMS)
The next Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 82) will be asked to grant final approval to the HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) HiBallast 2.0 ballast water management system during its 82nd session, which takes place 30 September to 3 October 2024.
The approval of the HiBallast 2.0 system follows stringent regulatory requirements outlined in the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004. This Convention mandates that ballast water management systems using active substances must receive approval from International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The process leading up to this final approval involved the submission of new data and rigorous evaluations, including those in documents MEPC 80/4/3 and MEPC 80/4/9, as well as adherence to resolutions such as MEPC.169(57).
The HD KSOE HiBallast 2.0 system had been transferred from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries effective from 1 August 2023 and utilises a sodium hypochlorite solution for disinfection. The system comprises four main components: the chemical injection unit, neutralisation unit, system control unit, and TRO monitoring unit.
The approval process involved extensive testing under various salinity conditions to evaluate the system’s performance.
Full-scale tests conducted between October and December 2023 included chemical analysis, whole effluent toxicity tests and environmental risk assessments. Key findings submitted in the approval documentation indicated the HiBallast 2.0TM system effectively neutralises harmful organisms while maintaining compliance with environmental and human health safety standards.
The testing revealed the system’s treatment process, which includes the injection and subsequent neutralisation of sodium hypochlorite, met all regulatory requirements for safe discharge. Comprehensive risk assessments were conducted to evaluate the potential impacts on both the environment and human health. The assessments demonstrated the HiBallast 2.0 system poses no significant risk when operated within the specified parameters.
The neutralisation process, using sodium thiosulfate, effectively reduces residual oxidants, ensuring that discharge concentrations remain within safe limits. The risk to aquatic organisms was deemed negligible, and the system was found to be safe for ship crews and the general public when appropriate personal protective equipment is used.
Throughout the evaluation process, the GESAMP-BWWG provided critical feedback and recommendations to enhance the system’s safety and efficacy. These included monitoring the decomposition of sodium hypochlorite to manage chlorate and perchlorate formation, ensuring effective TRO dosing and neutralisation and incorporating robust safety measures for handling chemicals.
HD KSOE addressed these recommendations by refining the system’s control mechanisms, improving safety protocols and conducting additional tests to verify compliance.
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