It is less than a year to the date when the D-2 standard applies to every water discharged while operating under normal conditions at all times!
At the 71st session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), the draft amendments to regulation B-3 of the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC), which revises the installation schedule of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) for new ships and existing ships, were approved.
According to the approved schedule ships shall install the Ballast Water Management System to comply with the D-2 biological standard as follows:
- new ships, the keels of which were laid on or after 8th September 2017, are to comply with the D-2 standard at their deliveries,
- existing ships are to comply with the D-2 standard at the first IOPP renewal survey completed on or after 8th September 2019, but no later than 8th September 2024,
- existing ships that completed the IOPP renewal survey between 8th September 2014 and 7th September 2017 are to comply with the D-2 standard at the first renewal survey after the date of entry into force of the Convention,
- existing ships that completed the first IOPP renewal survey between 8th September 2017 and 8th September 2019 are to comply with the D-2 standard at the second IOPP renewal survey,
- existing ships that are not required to possess IOPP certificates (Oil tankers of less than 150 gross tonnage and ships other than oil tankers of less than 400 gross tonnage) are to comply with the D-2 standard not later than 8th September 2024.
It should be noted that ships of 400 gross tonnage and above, to which the Convention applies, were required to obtain the valid International Ballast Water Management Certificate (or Ballast Water Management Certificate of Compliance) before 8th September 2017, irrespective if the system is installed or not.
The approval of the BWMS installations and issuing of appropriate documents lies in the competency of a classification society (e.g. Polish Register of Shipping) that provides statutory surveys and related services, resulting in the issue of IBWM certificates.
The schedule for installation of BWMS on ships constructed before 8th September 2017 is shown below:
