Short Overview

The 16th edition has been fully revised to reflect current requirements in the management of ballast water since ratification of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention).

To assist ship owners with BWM Convention compliance, the book is divided into two useful volumes: Volume 1 Guidance and Volume 2 BWM Systems. As well as regulatory guidance, Volume 1 includes valuable practical considerations relating to Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) selection, installation/retrofitting, onboard operation (including dealing with challenging water quality), maintenance, monitoring and reporting. Volume 2 is a thorough compilation of standardized information for BWMS that have been Type Approved for use on board ships.

Detailed Overview

Since 8th September 2024, all ships to which the BWM Convention applies, have had to comply with the Convention's ballast water discharge standard (D-2). For most ships, this has involved installing and operating a BWMS on board. This comprehensive, two-volume publication provides up-to-date guidance on BWM regulations, operations (including port State control (PSC) requirements) and equipment options. It is a valuable, single-point source of information for ship owners and operators.

In Volume 1, the publication looks in detail at the various treatment systems and technologies, significant components and the implications for onboard operation, maintenance and contingency measures. With the end of the installation window for fitting a BWMS to existing ships, there is a shift from retrofitting to installing on newbuilds and fulfilling maintenance contracts. However, retrofit experience remains an important consideration as there will also be a growing market for fully or partly replacing older (legacy) BWMS or systems that are not operating properly.

Now the BWM Convention has been fully in force for a year, there is an increase in PSC BWM inspection activity leading up to the end of the experience building phase (EBP) for the Convention in Autumn 2026. These PSC inspections aim to facilitate compliance by identifying deficiencies early and ensuring that ships are meeting the mandatory requirements of the Convention. There is particular emphasis on the D-2 performance standard, the provision of correct and accurate documentation for inspection and support for crew operating the systems on board.

Volume 2 provides an extensive set of data sheets on BWMS that have been type approved through the BWM Convention testing procedures. These summarise the treatment technology, type approval certification and system design limitations (SDL), so that ship owners can evaluate different systems and make an informed decision before purchasing. It is particularly important to know the SDL of a BWMS since these are the conditions and parameters under which the system is approved to operate.

The Appendices contain an updated list of IMO Guidance Documents for the BWM Convention (updated to MEPC 83). They also describe key invasive species and illustrate native and invasive geographic ranges.

Contents Listing

Volume 1: Guidance

Foreword
Abbreviations

Part One: Introduction and Regulations

Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Ballast Water
1.2 Sediment
1.3 Aquatic Species
1.4 Ballast Tank Configuration
1.5 Biofouling

Chapter Two: IMO Regulations
2.1 Application of the BWM Convention
2.2 The IMO Approval Process
2.3 Same Risk Area (SRA) Concept (the Management of Risk)
2.4 Temporary Storage of Grey Water/Treated Sewage in Ballast Tanks
2.5 The Schedule for Compliance
2.6 Transparency and Effectiveness of G8 Type Approval
2.7 Port State Control (PSC) Procedures for Sampling and Analysis
2.8 Ballast Water Management Manual: How to do it

Chapter Three: Local and Regional Regulations
3.1 Americas
3.2 United Kingdom
3.3 Polar Waters

Chapter Four: Alternatives to Using a BWMS On Board
4.1 Port Reception Facilities
4.2 Contingency Measures
4.3 Port-based Ballast Water Treatment
4.4 Sediment Control

Part Two: Implementation of Regulations

Chapter Five: Port State Authorities and Port State Control
5.1 Port State Requirements
5.2 Existing Conditions
5.3 Notification
5.4 Inspection, Monitoring and Enforcement

Chapter Six: The Financial Implications of BWM Legislation
6.1 Cost of Compliance with BWM Legislation
6.2 Cost of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS)
6.3 Issues and Costs for BWMS Manufacturers
6.4 Cost of Ballast Water Exchange (BWE)

Part Three: Treatment Systems and Operation

Chapter Seven: Introduction to Treatment Technologies
7.1 Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) Requirements
7.2 The Evolution of BWMS

Chapter Eight: Physical Separation, Thermal, Ultraviolet and Plasma Technologies
8.1 Physical Separation
8.2 Heat Treatment Technology
8.3 Ultraviolet Radiation/Advanced Oxidation Technology
8.4 Plasma Technology

Chapter Nine: Deoxygenation, Magnetic and Ultrasonic/Cavitation Technologies
9.1 Deoxygenation/Supersaturation Technology
9.2 Magnetic/Electric Field Technology
9.3 Ultrasonic and Hydrodynamic Cavitation Technology

Chapter Ten: Chemical, Biocide and Electrochemical Technologies
10.1 Chemical and Biocide Technology
10.2 Electrochemical Technology

Part Four: Practical Installation and Retrofitting Considerations

Chapter Eleven: Choosing a BWMS
11.1 Making the Decision

Chapter Twelve: The Design Stage (Feasibility Study and 3D Scan)
12.1 Retrofit Planning
12.2 Retrofitting: Feasibility Study
12.3 The 3D Scan
12.4 The Design Engineering Stage
12.5 The Role of Class
12.6 Selection of Retrofit Location

Chapter Thirteen: The Installation Process
13.1 Simplified Overview
13.2 Detailed Overview
13.3 Before Entering the Retrofit Facility
13.4 During the Stay in the Retrofit Facility
13.5 Departing the Retrofit Facility
13.6 Technical Installation and Retrofit Facility/Dry Dock Challenges

Chapter Fourteen: Commissioning of the BWMS
14.1 Delays in the Commissioning Process
14.2 IMO Commissioning Guidance

Part Five: Operations

Chapter Fifteen: Ship Administration of BWM
15.1 The Ballast Water Management Plan (BWMP)
15.2 Duties of the Ballast Water Management Officer
15.3 Ballast Water Record Book (BWRB)
15.4 Surveys
15.5 Certification
15.6 Ballast Water Reporting
15.7 Training
Chapter Sixteen: Ballast Water Sampling/Monitoring
16.1 Monitoring of Operations
16.2 Arrival Ballast Conditions
16.3 Monitoring Levels
16.4 Post-treatment Monitoring
16.5 Sampling
16.6 Sediment
16.7 Test Methods
16.8 Ballast Tank Entry

Chapter Seventeen: Maintenance and Operational Issues
17.1 Maintenance Issues
17.2 Operational Issues
17.3 Emergency/Contingency Measures

Chapter Eighteen: Preparing for Inspections
18.1 Overview of PSC Inspections
18.2 Checklist for Preparing for Inspections
18.3 Reducing Overall Risk
18.4 Ship Inspection Report Program (SIRE) and other Inspection Regimes

Chapter Nineteen: Challenging Water Quality (CWQ)
19.1 Regulatory Guidance
19.2 Operations
19.3 Assessing BWMS Operations
19.4 Troubleshooting and Mitigation
19.5 Alternatives to Bypass
19.6 Bypass Procedure
19.7 Decontamination
19.8 Records and Roles

Chapter Twenty: Ballast Water Exchange (BWE)
20.1 BWE Operational Considerations
20.2 Sequential BWE Method
20.3 Flow-through BWE Method
20.4 BWE Operations Checklists

Appendices
A1 Key Invasive Species
A2 IMO Guidance Documents for the BWM Convention

Volume 2: BWM Systems

Abbreviations

Chapter One: BW Systems with No Active Substances (G8)
BW Systems with No Active Substances Type Approved under the BWMS Code
1.1 Wärtsilä Aquarius UV BWMS
1.2 ARA BWMS
1.3 BAWAT BWMS Mk2
1.4 BIO-SEA BWTS
1.5 Blue Ocean Shield (BOS) BWMS
1.6 BSKY BWMS
1.7 CompactClean BWMS
1.8 Cyeco BWMS
1.9 Evac Evolution BWMS
1.10 GloEn-Patrol 2.0 BWMS
1.11 KBAL BWMS
1.12 LanghBW BWMS
1.13 Miura HK BWMS
1.14 NiBallast BWMS
1.15 NGT BWMS (previously MMC BWMS)
1.16 Optimarin Ballast System (OBS)
1.17 PACT MARINE BWMS
1.18 PureBallast 3.2 BWMS
1.19 Purestream BWMS
1.20 Seascape BWMS
1.21 Seatrium Eco LUV BWMS
1.22 SKF BlueSonic BWMS

Chapter Two: BW Systems using Active Substances (G9)
BW Systems using Active Substances Type Approved under the BWMS Code
2.1 Wärtsilä Aquarius EC BWMS
2.2 AquaStar BWMS
2.3 ATPS-BLUEsys BWMS
2.4 BalClor BWMS
2.5 BALPURE BWMS
2.6 NK-O3 BlueBallast II Plus BWMS
2.7 CleanBallast-Ocean Barrier System (CB-OBS) BWMS
2.8 Ecochlor BWMS
2.9 EcoGuardian BWMS
2.10 ECS-HYCHLOR BWMS
2.11 Electro-Cleen System (ECS)
2.12 ERMA FIRST FIT BWTS
2.13 HiBallast NF BWMS
2.14 InTank BWTS
2.15 JFE BallastAce BWMS
2.16 MICROFADE II BWMS
2.17 OceanGuard BWMS
2.18 Oceansaver BWTS MKIIB
2.19 oneTANK BWMS
2.20 PURIMAR BWMS
2.21 RADClean BWMS
2.22 SeaCURE BWMS
2.23 Senza TG2 BWMS (previously known as KURITA BWMS)

Chapter Three: Approval Status of Systems
3.1 The BWM Convention

Additional Information

Author: Witherbys