ABS Updates BWT Guidance
ABS, a provider of classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, has updated the ABS Guide for Ballast Water Treatment to support industry in the design and installation of ballast water management solutions that meet both regulatory and operational requirements.
“As vessel owners and operators prepare for the implementation of the recently ratified IMO (International Maritime Organization) Ballast Water Management Convention, they need guidance from a trusted advisor like ABS. Our team of technical specialists is ready to assist them with addressing this compliance in support of their unique operational challenges,” says ABS Executive Vice President for Global Marine Kirsi Tikka. “The update to the Guide comes just as industry is addressing the technical challenges brought about by this Convention.”
The IMO requirements for ballast water management enter into force on September 8, 2017. Central to these changes is the requirement that vessels use approved ballast water management systems.
In addition to providing guidance on the new IMO requirements, the latest revision to the ABS Guide for Ballast Water Treatment includes changes that:
- Clarify requirements for hazardous area installations and safety practices
- Recognize US Coast Guard Type Approvals
- Address installations on tugs, barges and Mobile Offshore Drilling Units
- Delineate additional verification requirements for Administration Type Approval certification.
The ABS team also offers a Ballast Water Management Technology Evaluation Service to help owners understand installation requirements, technical functionality, design parameters, performance and operability of different ballast water management systems to meet their regulatory compliance needs. The evaluation provides owners with information that enables them to confidently decide on a system that best fits each of their vessels’ design and operational profiles.