Page 34: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2015)

SHIP REPAIR & CONVERSION

Maersk Flensburg ballasting water.

(Source: Maersk Maritime Technology / Public Domain)

U.S. System Approvals are Key;

Detailed Pre-Planning Urged

By Patricia Keefe en years on, there’s little Eventually, that is, because there is not a more vendors will step up to the plate substantial cap-X decision since the reg- certain about ballast water lot of activity right now. and submit their products and data to ulations are still vague and the technol- management regulations That’s because much of the industry the USCG’s two independent test labs. ogy is not proven,” shrugs an executive that the industry can chart is waiting for the International Marine Or when the IMO will ? nish its recently at global tanker company.

T a course around other than Organization (IMO)’s regulations to ? - agreed to review of the G8 testing proto- And so at the start of of 2015, well after that it will be expensive – possibly the nally come into force, which by most cols. Or whether suppliers and shipyards the passage of the initial 2013 compli- most costly marine retro? t to date. With estimates will happen in 2016, a year will be able to meet pent up demand ance deadlines, and almost two decades install estimates running from $500,000 from whenever the widely anticipated ? - down the road. And on and on. after the IMO ? rst started to look at the to as much as $5 million per vessel, nal rati? cation of the IMO ballast water In the face of so many unknowns it’s issue, frustration is as widespread among across some 68,000 commercial ships convention occurs sometime this year. hard for ship owners to justify taking the the owners as their coping strategies are estimated by the IMO to transfer 7 bil- But no one really knows when rati? ca- BWMS plunge as the irresolution of so wide ranging. lion tons of ballast water annually – in- tion will take place. Or when the United many issues has left every option fraught dustry players say we could be looking States Coast Guard (USCG) will start with risk. Tragedy of BW Regulations at as much as an $80 billion market. announcing system approvals. Or when “The owners just don’t want to take a “This legislation was pushed before 34 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JANUARY 2015

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