ABS: 43 Pct of Installed BWMS Considered ‘Problematic’

57 percent of ballast water management (BWM) systems installed on vessels were being operated, while the rest were either deemed ‘inoperable’ or considered ‘problematic’, according to a survey conducted by classification society ABS.

To form an accurate picture of the current progress with BWM compliance, owners and operators with installed BWM systems were surveyed and invited to participate in ABS’ workshop. Survey results from some 30 owners and operators were aggregated to help identify trends and understand common practices while maintaining anonymity.

The report reveals that some of the major challenges that shipowners and operators face with BWM systems are related to software, hardware and the crew’s ability to operate the systems correctly.

System operators have had to develop plans to keep up with hardware maintenance and maintain an inventory of spare parts on a vessel. A recurring concern expressed by many owners relates to the chemical consumables used for determining residual oxidants in the ballast water. Proper storage and handling is critical to the operation of systems employing total residual oxidant (TRO).

Another major takeaway from the workshop was the importance and necessity of maintaining an effective training strategy to ensure crew members can operate these systems properly and safely. Improved training methods and system manuals will decrease the number of issues that stem from operational errors, according to the classification society.

“This comprehensive report, based on feedback from our workshop, is an important assessment of the readiness of industry when it comes to ballast water compliance,” Thomas Kirk, ABS Director for Environmental Performance, said.

The report, which provides insights into how industry is progressing with BWM systems, covers a range of topics, including installation, commissioning and operations of BWM systems.