IACS’ Rec. 180, for Conducting Commissioning Testing of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS), sets out a uniform approach for the testing of commissioned systems to make sure that discharged ballast water meets the D-2 standard laid down by the BWM Convention.
However, the IACS initiative comes as sector experts warn that many vessels will fail to meet the 8 September deadline. This is partly because many installed systems were not commissioned in the first place or have fallen out of commission, possibly through lack of use or maintenance. Some systems have not been used for years, it is claimed, and some seagoing personnel have not been trained to use them anyway.
Furthermore, in some regions, there is no framework to determine whether systems work properly or not. For ship operators with vessels in those locations, non-compliance is not an issue, they say.
Commissioning tests carried out during an initial survey and subsequent surveys, which could be triggered by significant changes, replacements, or repairs to the BWMS, play a crucial role in validating the proper functioning of all mechanical, physical, chemical, and biological processes within the system, IACS said.
Rec. 180 is the result of experience and feedback following the approval of the IMO’s 2020 Guidance for the commission testing of BWMS, the Association said. The new regulation aims to facilitate the smooth, effective, and harmonised implementation of commissioning test requirements in line with international regulations.
IACS Secretary General, Robert Ashdown, said: “IACS’ Rec. 180 marks a further contribution to the safeguarding of the marine environment by streamlining the commissioning testing of Ballast Water Management Systems. Commissioning testing plays a crucial role in validating the proper functioning of the BWMS, in mitigating the risks of ecological damage caused by the introduction of non-native species, and in ensuring compliance with the IMO regulations.”
Although the long-awaited Convention will enter force in September, classification societies have some leeway on compliance, enabling a possible extension of up to six months. But diligent port states are likely to have a close eye on operators and ships that fail to meet the Convention’s requirements on time, or at the latest, by March next year.
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