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The impact of MEPC 77 on ballast water
Ahead of the 77th meeting of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (22-26 November 2021) various papers concerning ballast water treatment were submitted for consideration – what was the outcome?
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) found it necessary, once again, to shorten the agenda to allow more time to discuss greenhouse gas matters, but even some of these were barely touched upon and key ballast water management items and amendments were pushed back.
One item agreed was the draft unified interpretation of the date to be used for determining the implementation of mandatory commissioning testing of individual ballast water management systems (BWMS) in accordance with resolution MEPC.325(75). Commissioning testing should be conducted if the initial or additional survey is completed on or after 1 June 2022.
This was an important step and met the suggestions put forward by South Korea and IACS (MEPC 77/4/6) – IACS also submitted a separate paper on this issue (MEPC 77/4/11).
The second item passed by MEPC was to re-establish the review group at MEPC 78 (June 2022), in accordance with the provisions of regulation D-5 of the BWM Convention, which states:
“IMO is required to review the Ballast Water Performance Standard, taking into account a number of criteria including safety considerations; environmental acceptability, ie not causing more or greater environmental impacts than it solves; practicability, ie compatibility with ship design and operations; cost effectiveness; and biological effectiveness in terms of removing, or otherwise rendering inactive harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ballast water. The review should include a determination of whether appropriate technologies are available to achieve the standard, an assessment of the above-mentioned criteria, and an assessment of the socio-economic effect(s) specifically in relation to the developmental needs of developing countries, particularly small island developing States.”
MEPC 77 has several issues to consider from the latest submissions, including: sampling and training inspectors as suggested by Brazil (MEPC 77/4/10).
The issue of extending the experience building phase as submitted by ICS, BIMCO, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO (MEPC 77/4/7), was not considered but the committee was informed there is now available data from 35 member states and seven other stakeholders, corresponding to approximately 15,000 ships.
The data submitted to the World Maritime University will be submitted to MEPC 78 in June 2022, with a view to considering a package of amendments to the convention at MEPC 79 in December 2022.
MEPC 77 was not able to finalise the draft BWM.2 circular on guidance for the application of the BWM Convention to ships operating at ports with challenging water quality at this session as submitted by Germany and Denmark (MEPC 77/4/8).
But this issue is to be addressed by a virtual Ballast Water Review Group, which will consider the development of a circular with draft guidance on ships operating at ports with challenging water quality with a view to reporting at MEPC 78.
The issue of Ballast Water Record Book entries as addressed by India (MEPC 77/4/9) was also not resolved.
MEPC was notified of type-approvals of the following ballast water treatment systems:
- Basic approval granted by MEPC to Iran’s Rahavaran Ayandeh Darya Company, which produces the RADClean BWMS.
- Final approval granted by MEPC to JFE BallastAce BWMS, which uses NEO-CHLOR MARINE.
- Final approval for Hyundai Heavy Industries’ HiBallast NF.
- Final approval was not granted for FlowSafe ballast water management system, submitted by Cyprus as the manufacturer has withdrawn from the market.
The following BWMS were also submitted but the outcome (approved/not approved/delayed to MEPC 78) is unknown:
- SeaCURE: type-approval of the SeaCURE BWMS manufactured by Evoqua Water Technologies Ltd.
- Kuraray Co: type-approval of the MICROFADE II BWMS manufactured by Kuraray Co Ltd
- DESMI Ocean Guard: amended the earlier type-approval of the CompactClean BWMS manufactured by DESMI Ocean Guard.
- Atlantium Technologies Ltd: type-approval of the Purestream BWMS manufactured by Atlantium Technologies Ltd.
- TECHCROSS Inc: type-approval of the ECS ballast water management system manufactured by TECHCROSS Inc.
- HANLA IMS Co: type-approval of the EcoGuardian BWMS manufactured by HANLA IMS Co Ltd.
- Jiangsu Nanji Machinery Co: type-approval of the NiBallast BWMS manufactured by Jiangsu Nanji Machinery Co Ltd.
MEPC 78 has been tentatively scheduled to take place from 6-10 June 2022 and MEPC 79 from 12-16 December 2022.
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