Achieving USCG and revised-G8 type approval is essential for today's ballast water management systems; it is not a simple process though, so how should manufacturers approach the issue?
Six ballast water management systems (BWMSs) have US Coast Guard (USCG) type-approval at the time of writing in early May, with seven more applications pending. In addition, four manufacturers that already have USCG type-approval have applied for further approvals for modified versions.
China’s SunRui holds certificates for both testing standards for its BalClor system. Senior purchasing manager Helen Li said that the revised G8 guidelines “are more in line with the stringent USCG requirements” than the original guidelines. It already held USCG type-approval and “no major changes were needed to meet the revised G8 guidelines”, she said.
Alfa Laval is the only other manufacturer to have gained G8 approval since the guidelines were revised. It too has USCG type-approval for its Pure Ballast 3 BWMS and its vice president and head of its PureBallast work Anders Lindmark said that it had conducted the additional testing needed for a revised G8 certificate during 2017; it received the certificate in February 2018 – the first company to reach that milestone.
Other manufacturers that are working towards those goals have target dates that match the revised installation timetable agreed by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee in July 2017 (MEPC 71). For example, Bawat chief executive Kim Diederichsen said that he expects to receive revised G8 type-approval in Q1 2019, on the back of its USCG type-approval application.
Coldharbour, too, expects to complete its USCG testing this year, with G8 tests being run at the same time. This approach is the same as that taken by Wärtsilä. It submitted a USCG type-approval application for its Aquarius EC BWMS in early April, and plans to match that for its UV version in Q3 this year. “Revised G8 requirements are being undertaken as part of our USCG testing schedules,” its BWMS sales director Craig Patrick said.
Hyde Marine senior market manager Mark Riggio indicated early 2019 as its target date for both USCG and revised G8 type-approvals, as did De Nora general manager Stelios Kyriacou, who is responsible for its Balpure business. It is also conducting USCG and revised G8 tests at the same time.
Ecochlor president Tom Perlich said that its USCG type-approval testing took place while the G8 guidelines were being revised. It obtained USCG approval on 31 March, and said “we do not anticipate a need for separate testing” for G8.
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