Next Phase in Ballast Water Management

For nearly 10 years, I have participated in the BWMTech North America conferences. Each annual meeting, is, by necessity, an update on the incremental progress that has been made in the previous year. This year seemed decidedly different.

The conference is now more focused on the implementation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Ballast Water Management Convention and the U.S. regulation than it has been in the past. That is, the discussions have pivoted. Formerly, they were largely focused on considerations of which ballast water management system (BWMS) to install (and how to install them, which is not easy on existing ships) and early questions about compliance. Now, the emphasis is on how to commission BWMS after they are installed, how they work under real-world conditions, and how to test ships’ discharges for compliance with the regulations. Compliance tools (e.g., hand-held meters) have been on the market for some time, and now the discussion also includes questions about how these tools will be universally validated to determine their performance. All of these developments are positive changes. Additionally, about 25% of the people attending the recent conference in Ft. Lauderdale this fall were new attendees, perhaps reflecting the shift in focus in the industry.

Compliance with ballast water regulations seems very immediate now. Indeed, the peak in BWMS installations is forecasted to occur soon, in 2022. The industry is preparing for this rush of installations, commissioning, and enforcement. The keys to success will be appropriate oversight (e.g., classification societies’ review of BWMS installations), technical expertise (in evaluating and testing BWMS efficacy), and rigor in all steps of implementation.