IMO headquarters prepares for MEPC 82, where key ballast water systems await approval (source: IMO)
The MEPC 82 session will review and likely approve new ballast water management systems, including filterless designs, to the new D-2 standard
The 82nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), commencing on 30 September, 2024, is poised to address several pressing issues in maritime environmental protection.Among the agenda items is the review and potential approval of ballast water management systems (BWMS).
Although this session will take place shortly after the introduction of the D-2 biological compliance standard on 8 September 2024, this does not signify the end of BWMS approvals.
During this session, the MEPC will focus extensively on Agenda Item 4, which concerns harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water.
This item includes evaluating several BWMS submissions that have undergone rigorous testing and review by the Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection – Ballast Water Working Group (GESAMP-BWWG).
The committee’s approval process is largely anticipated to be a formality unless specific objections are raised or the committee runs out of time.
One of the systems up for approval is the HiBallast 2.0TM BWMS, developed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and submitted by the Republic of Korea.The HiBallast 2.0TM system, a filterless design, utilises sodium hypochlorite solution for disinfection, a method that has been validated through comprehensive environmental and human health risk assessments.
According to the submission document, “The HiBallast 2.0TM BWMS was tested across all three salinity conditions – freshwater, brackish water, and marine water – to ensure its effectiveness and safety.” The system’s design includes a chemical injection unit, a neutralisation unit, and a system control unit, which collectively manage the treatment of ballast water to meet international discharge standards, now in line with the D-2 biological compliance requirements.
The GESAMP-BWWG’s review of the HiBallast 2.0TM system addressed concerns over chemical by-products and potential environmental impacts.The report noted that, while some chemicals, such as chloropicrin and bromoacetonitrile, were detected in treated water, their concentrations were low enough to be considered negligible in terms of environmental risk.
“The potential risk to aquatic organisms from these chemicals is minimal,” the report states, underscoring the system’s compliance with the stringent requirements of the Ballast Water Management Convention and the newly enforced D-2 standard.
Another BWMS on the docket is the EcoGuardian NFTM system, submitted by Liberia on behalf of its manufacturer, HANLA IMS Co Ltd.The EcoGuardian NFTM system, which is also a filterless design, has already received type-approval from the Liberian Maritime Authority and is expected to pass through the MEPC approval process smoothly.
The system employs a two-step treatment process involving electrochlorination and neutralisation, designed to meet the requirements set out in the BWMS Code.
According to the submission, “The EcoGuardian NFTM system has been successfully tested under various conditions, including land-based and shipboard environments, demonstrating its reliability and compliance with international standards,” including those related to the D-2 biological compliance.
The GESAMP-BWWG also reviewed the EcoGuardian NFTM system, focusing on its operational safety and environmental impact.The report highlighted that all testing, including those conducted on the tankerPolar Ace, showed the system met the required performance standards.
The document notes, “The system design has been validated to ensure it poses no undue risk to crew safety, ship safety or the environment.”
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Riviera’s Ballast Water Webinar Week will be held 14 October 2024. Click here to register for this free-to-attend event.
