Legend / Explanation of abbreviations:
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BWMC: Ballast Water Management Convention, 2004
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BWMP: Ballast Water Management Plan
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BWMS: Ballast Water Management System
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BWRB: Ballast Water Record Book
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BWE: Ballast Water Exchange
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BWE+BWT: ballast water exchange through a BWMS
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CWQ: Challenging Water Qualities
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EU: European Union
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EEZ: Exclusive Economic Zone
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GT: Gross Tonnage
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ItoS: Information to Shipping
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IMO: International Maritime Organization
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IOPP: International Oil Polution Prevention
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MED: Marine Equipment Directive
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MEPC: Marine Environment Protection Committee
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NSI: Netherlands Shipping Inspectorate
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OSPAR: Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic
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RO: Recognised Organisation
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RSW: Refrigerated Seawater
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TRO: Total Resistant Oxidant
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UV-T: Ultraviolet Ballast Water Treatment
2 Definition ballast water and exceptions
Ballast water means water with its suspended matter taken on board a ship to control trim, list, draught, stability or stresses of the ship (as per BWMC article 1, sub 2).
Therefore, water carried in moon pools, wash water from cargo hold cleaning, a sea water sanitary system, the contents of RSW tanks on trawlers, the hopper content on a dredger and similar volumes of water are not to be considered as ballast water. Also, water in heeling- and trimtanks, provided it is fully contained in a closed system, is not to be considered as ballast water.
2.1 Overflow of ballast tanks
The practice of overflow during filling of ballast tanks cannot be continued if a system operating with active substances is installed. The ballast water entering the tanks is toxic because of the added TRO - total Residual Oxidants. The TRO, which typically is chlorine content, of the ballast water entering the tanks in that case is too high to be discharged overboard without neutralization.
4 Netherlands contacts for the request for acceptance of the exception according to BWMC regulation A-3.5 (same location)
For foreign flagged ships: contact psc@ilent.nl
For Netherlands flagged ships: contact nsi-tez-kv@ilent.nl
5 Ballast Water Management Plan (re-)approval
The BWMP needs to be re-approved by the Classification Society if the management methods changes. Re-approval is also required when the ship wants to make use of any of the following guidance documents:
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Contingency measures like BWMS malfunction, as described in BWM.2/Circ.62
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Storage of TS/GW in ballast tanks, as described in BWM.2/Circ.82
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Challenging Water Quality, as described in Res.MEPC.387(81)
Each of these guidance documents state that ship-specific guidance for the particular situation needs to be incorporated in the BWMP. As a consequence, the BWMP will need to be re-approved and a request to the Classification Society shall be made.
7 Discharge of ballast water at the repair yard
The discharge of ballast water in dock or at the repair yard is also subject to the Convention. Discharges of water are the responsibility of the shipyard and subject to local regulations / instructions.
8 Type approval
8.1 Type approval of a BWMS installed on board according to the 'old G8 guidelines'
Upgrading of a BWMS to the 'new G8 guidelines' (as per resolution MEPC.279(70)) or the Code for approval of BWMS is not required for existing (type-approved) systems. These systems may continue in service under its existing type-approval (as per resolution MEPC.174(58), the 'old G8 guidelines') until replacement. The installation of such a BWMS, type-approved according to the 'old G8 guidelines', may continue until 28-10-2020.
8.2 Type approvals that are accepted by the Netherlands' Administration
A BWMS must have a National Type Approval certificate until these systems are placed on the MED list. However, taking the Regulation 789/2004/EC into account, type approvals issued by other EU Member States are also accepted. Exceptions to the above have been agreed due to special circumstances. In that case the NSI shall be contacted beforehand through/via the RO's branch office.
9 Survey and certification
9.1 Recommendations for commissioning testing
It is recommended to clean all ballast tanks and discharge any sediment to reception facilities, and to check all valves (especially cross-over valves to other systems for tightness) before commencing the commissioning test. For the characterization of the intake conditions it is recommended to take an inlet sample of 500 litres and analyse this for organism abundance. This in order to better prove proper functioning of the system, and to make trouble shooting easier in case of non-compliance.
9.2 Lockout-tag-out principle
The lockout-tag-out principle is also acceptable in case of retrofitting a BWMS on an existing ship, in order to maintain operational system functionality (e.g in case combined general service pump, fi-fi/bilge-duty). This however only when this has been specially considered and accepted by the ships' RO. This shall be documented in the approved BWMP.
The lockout-tag-out procedure instead of blanking off tanks is also acceptable; but this only after special consideration and acceptance by the ships' RO and with final approval by the NSI.