Tag: ballast water

MEPC 79 established a Ballast Water Review Group to consider a number of matters with regards to the Ballast Water Management Convention.

Have you ever wondered how ships maintain their stability on the water? Ballast is a key operation surrounding ships, as it is responsible for keeping the vessel upright by ensuring an even distribution of weights.

Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM), a joint venture between Nakilat, and Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd., will provide after-sales technical support to vessels equipped with ERMA FIRST ballast water treatment systems calling at ports and repair yards in Qatar.

At MEPC 77, the Ballast Water Review Group (BWRG) considered a number of submissions related to the application of the BWM Convention to ships operating at ports with challenging water quality. BEMA presented a proposal for use of the existing IMO guidance contained within BWM.2/Circ.62 with a goal of supporting delivery of the needed guidance to all stakeholders.

The Ballast Water Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (BEMA) highlights the need to address the issue of BWMS operation in ports with challenging waters. On the occasion of MEPC 76 last year, BEMA issued a position paper to discuss related challenges for consideration.

While several landmark agreements have been put into force over the years to minimize the impact of shipping activity to the natural environment, the vast presence of shipping makes some of these impacts hard to eliminate. Shipping traffic has increased 300% in the past two decades, with some of the world’s busiest shipping routes overlapping with marine life habitats, according to WWF. What does this mean for marine ecosystems?

The 2022 GREEN4SEA Virtual Forum successfully concluded on April 27-28, focusing on industry’s ambitious numerous and complex challenges of a more sustainable shipping. No doubt, the future of shipping is green while new regulations, green financing to meet decarbonization goals, innovation and flexibility will drive the industry forward.

On October 26, 2020, EPA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance – was published in the Federal Register for public comment. The proposed rule will reduce the environmental impact of discharges, such as ballast water, that are incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels. When finalized, this new rule will streamline the current patchwork of federal, state, and local requirements that apply to the commercial vessel community and better protect US waters.

The Ballastwater Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (BEMA) announced that they have been granted Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Consultative Status by IMO. This designation will allow BEMA to attend IMO meetings and contribute to the work of the IMO by submitting technical input and providing specialized operational and technical expertise on BWMS.

California has introduced a new at-berth emission regulation that aims to further reduce the public’s exposure to air pollution generated by vessels berthed at its busiest ports, and greatly enhanced the criminal penalties for oil spill related offences in its waters.