Page 15 - Annual Review 2018/2019

INDUSTRY TOPICS

Ballast Water Management

After the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention entry into force on 8 Sept.
2017, INTERCARGO remained concerned about the practical problems faced by
its Members when retrofitting the existing dry bulk ships with BWM systems and

operating them. While it welcomed the purpose and the focus of the Convention, the
implementation challenges of the Convention especially relate to retrofitting BWM
systems, adequate worldwide support for these systems, the availability of proven /

actually performing under all conditions systems, and spares backup.

Ahead of the IMO Ballast Water Management (BWM) bulk carriers. Mindful of these aspects, INTERCARGO
Convention entry into force, INTERCARGO expressed made what it considered as pragmatic and constructive
its concerns about the practical problems faced by its proposals to IMO. While they were not taken aboard, our
Members when retrofitting the existing dry bulk ships with Association welcomed the entry into force of the Ballast
BWM systems and raised them at IMO. While it welcomed Water Management (BWM) Convention.
the purpose and the focus of the Convention, INTERCARGO
believed that the Regulatory bodies should consider the Achieving the effective implementation of the BWM
challenges faced by the existing bulk carriers, the largest Convention would require working closely with the
segment of commercial shipping by deadweight tonnage. manufacturers to this direction, and INTERCARGO early
invited and finally welcomed the establishment of an
Aspiring to the Convention’s effective implementation, our association of their own for this purpose. INTERCARGO
Association made IMO aware of the critical challenges faced remains committed to investigating the ongoing practical
by the bulk carrier segment of the industry. The regulation problems in retrofitting existing dry bulk ships with BWM
in place should respect the highly capital-intensive nature of systems and operating them, and we urge the Port States
the industry and avoid distorting the market’s level playing not to develop more onerous local requirements for ballast
field by marginalising thousands of viable and quality water on top of IMO’s Convention.

 For more information on this topic please visit: intercargo.org/topics/ballast/

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