Ballast Water Treatment Technology guide

In the face of new legislation, ship operators will need to choose a ballast water management solution that will work for them. The new guide is intended to provide an overview of the current status of ballast water treatment technologies. A global requirement for ballast water treatment arises from the International Convention for The Control of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, which will require certain ship types to use treatment systems. Dr Gillian Reynolds, Principal Environment and Sustainability Advisor at Lloyd’s Register, responsible for developing the guide, said: “The intention is to help ship operators, regulators and other stakeholders understand the availability and development of commercial solutions and the technologies involved.” The latest guide gives more information on estimates of CAPEX (capital expenditure) and OPEX (operating expenses) related to the ballast water treatment systems and it outlines the significant moves by manufacturers towards obtaining system approval, active substance approval as required and Type Approval certification. It is apparent that suitably approved ballast water treatment systems meeting the requirements of the International Convention for the Control of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments are now available, and in future more will become available. Ship owners and yards should now have a choice when considering what treatment system to utilise. To receive a copy of the guide contact: Charlotte Thomas, Lloyd’s Register External Affairs on charlotte.thomas@lr.org. For technical enquiries, contact: ballastwater@lr.org.