v Foreword The importance of having Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) on board vessels cannot be overstated. A major concern arising from the discharge of untreated ballast water is the in?ux of non-indigenous species in various parts of the world and the damage that they can cause to the local environment. For example, Zebra Mussels which originate from Poland and Russia are now being found in Canadian waters where they have no natural predators. This upsets the local ecosystem and threatens native wildlife. At present (30.09.2011), 30 member states of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) have signed up to the Ballast Water Convention bringing the number of contracting parties to 30 (out of the 30 needed for entry into force). To enter into force a tonnage criteria also has to be met. Currently, the contracting parties represent 26.44% of the world tonnage, whereas 35% will be needed for the Convention to enter into force. The implementation of a protocol covering BWT has been fragmented. In 2008, a postponement was granted to ships being built in 2009 with a ballast capacity of less than 5,000 m³. This was however not extended as had been expected to cover ships due to be built by 2012 with a ballast capacity of more than 5,000 m³. Accordingly, all ships that are built in 2012 must have an appropriate ballast water system installed. Ships built before this date must have a system installed by their ?rst dry docking after 1 January 2012. In any event, all ships must have a system installed by 2016. It is possible that there may be a one year extension to this and this may explain why so many operators are biding their time and not taking the necessary steps to install the required Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS). The convention will come into effect 12 months after rati?cation. However this has left some shipowners and operators believing that there is still ample time to choose and install a system from the wide choice that is available. While taking this stance they may not necessarily be acknowledging the complexity of installing these systems. Others may be waiting to see what pitfalls arise from approved but as yet unused systems. One problem is that at present there are more than 45 different types of system available on the market, 19 of which are fully Type Approved for use onboard ships. Some of the methods used by these systems include ultraviolet rays, ?ltration, centrifugal force and chemical treatments that use both oxidising and non-oxidising agents. It is claimed that most of these systems will eliminate 99% of any unwanted organisms in the ballast water. Section 19 of this book provides details of the various systems that are currently available and approved as well as those undergoing testing for approval. With so many systems on the market all claiming to meet the requirements of the convention, it is understandable that there is an element of confusion. Owners will want to be sure that the system they install will work. In addition, if chemicals are involved in a process, they must be readily available worldwide and not adversely affect the coating systems of ballast tanks. Some certain owners may well hold back from the expenditure until it is absolutely necessary as they may take the view that the convention will either not be brought into force or will be brought in at a later date. Currently many operators feel that a good interim option is to leave a blank space in the engine room, meaning they can consider what is available and most suitable when it becomes absolutely necessary to comply. This is very frustrating for the manufacturers of these systems as they have spent a great deal of time and money creating these systems and to date only a fraction of the anticipated number of systems has been installed. This will in time have a knock-on effect as it is likely that, once the convention is brought into force, the shipowners and operators will require these systems to be installed at short notice. This may well drive up the cost of BWTS installations. In the US, regulations regarding BWT are moving faster. The US Coast Guard recently announced that from 2012 launched vessels, of any size, wishing to distribute ballast in US waters must have a BWTS onboard. These rules were expected to be ?nalised by December 2010 but the date was moved back to the summer of 2011, and they are currently in review. While they follow the convention in most respects, a major difference is that the rules apply to all vi Ballast Water Management newbuilds. The rules proposed by the US Coast Guard are in two phases and, while the ?rst phase demands similar standards to the IMO Ballast Water Convention 2004, the second phase is more stringent. There is provision for a delay in the timeline planned for phase two if there are insuf?cient systems providing a high enough standard. An example of a recent notable installation was when Techcross, in liaison with Hyundai HI and Oman Shipping Company, were requested to provide a system that could treat ballast water on the VLCC ‘Sifa’ (317,000 dwt). Techcross installed an Electro-Cleen System (ECS) on board when the vessel was being built. The capacity that was required was obtained by combining several ECS units forming a BWTS. This allowed the BWTS to be located on deck. As the equipment was designed as one unit, this meant that it was faster and easier to both install and maintain. This BWTS on ‘Sifa’ has the capacity to disinfect in excess of 90,000 tonnes of ballast water taken on board during cargo discharge. It must be noted that manufacturers are concerned about the amount of work they will have to undertake and that they may not be able to meet the huge demands for these systems. As matters stand today, there are in the region of 75,000 ships requiring ballast water treatment systems. While there is a little leeway provided as the BWTS does not need to be in place until a ship’s next annual service, this will mean that, if the industry started at the time of publication of this book, there would have to be a system installed on 20 ships every day in order to meet the demand and timescale. September 2011 ix Contents Foreword ......................................................................................................................................................................v Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................................vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................................xiii PART ONE – Introduction & Background ................................................................................................1 Historical occurrences of nonindigenous marine species being transported in ships’ ballast water ............................3 1 The Issue in Recent Years ....................................................................................................................................5 2 The Ship as a Carrier ............................................................................................................................................7 2.1 Aquatic Species ........................................................................................................................................8 2.2 Pathogens.................................................................................................................................................9 2.3 Age of Ballast............................................................................................................................................9 3 Ballast Water Exchange – The First Measure to Reduce the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species ..................11 3.1 Ballast Water Exchange Operational Considerations .............................................................................12 3.1.1 Geographic Location Requirements .........................................................................................13 3.1.2 Exchange Zones ......................................................................................................................13 3.1.3 Salinity ......................................................................................................................................13 3.1.4 Time Required ..........................................................................................................................13 3.1.5 Deviation ...................................................................................................................................15 3.1.6 Need for Exchange ...................................................................................................................15 3.1.7 Safety Implications ...................................................................................................................15 3.2 Sequential Exchange Method .................................................................................................................16 3.3 Flow Through Exchange Method ............................................................................................................19 3.4 Natural Ballast Water Exchange Method ................................................................................................20 3.5 BWM Options Summary .........................................................................................................................22 3.6 Ballast Operations Checklists .................................................................................................................23 3.7 No Ballast Onboard (NOBOB) Ships .....................................................................................................27 3.8 The Ballastless Ship ...............................................................................................................................27 3.8.1 The Variable Buoyancy Ship .....................................................................................................28 3.8.2 The Non Ballast Water Ship .....................................................................................................28 3.9 Permissible BWM Methods .....................................................................................................................28 PART TWO – Regulations .......................................................................................................................29 4 The Ballast Water Management Convention ......................................................................................................31 4.1 Legislation from the International Maritime Organization .......................................................................32 4.1.1 Application of the BWM Convention .........................................................................................32 4.1.2 The IMO Approval Process .......................................................................................................37 4.1.3 Problems...................................................................................................................................38 5 Legislation from the United States ......................................................................................................................41 5.1 The US Coast Guard ..............................................................................................................................41 5.1.1 USCG Proposed Standards for Concentration of Living Organisms in Ballast Water ..............41 5.1.2 Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems ....................................................................43 5.1.3 The STEP Program ..................................................................................................................43 5.1.4 ETV (Environmental Technology Verification) Program ............................................................43 5.2 State Legislation .....................................................................................................................................43 5.2.1 US State Requirements ............................................................................................................44 6 Other Existing National or Local Ballast Water Management Legislation ...........................................................47 7 The Port State Authority ......................................................................................................................................51 8 Ballast Water Administration ...............................................................................................................................53 8.1 Management Plans .................................................................................................................................53 8.1.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................53 8.1.2 Ship Particulars ........................................................................................................................53 8.1.3 Index .........................................................................................................................................53 8.1.4 Purpose ....................................................................................................................................53 x Ballast Water Management 8.1.5 Plans/Drawings and Description of the Ballast System ............................................................53 8.1.6 Additional Details ......................................................................................................................54 8.1.7 Safety Procedures for the Ship and the Crew ..........................................................................56 8.1.8 Duties of the Ballast Water Management Officer ......................................................................56 8.2 Ballast Water Record Book .....................................................................................................................56 8.3 Surveys ..................................................................................................................................................57 8.3.1 Initial Survey .............................................................................................................................57 8.3.2 Intermediate Survey .................................................................................................................58 8.3.3 Annual Survey ..........................................................................................................................59 8.3.4 Renewal Survey .......................................................................................................................60 8.4 Certificate ................................................................................................................................................61 8.5 Port State Control (PSC) ........................................................................................................................62 8.5.1 Existing Conditions ...................................................................................................................62 8.5.2 Notification ................................................................................................................................62 8.5.3 Enforcement and Monitoring ....................................................................................................62 8.5.4 Examination of Onboard Documentation ..................................................................................63 8.5.5 Sampling ...................................................................................................................................63 8.5.6 Sampling and Actions ...............................................................................................................63 8.5.7 Enforcement Action .................................................................................................................64 8.6 Ballast Water Reporting ..........................................................................................................................64 8.6.1 Online Reports ..........................................................................................................................65 8.6.2 Fax Reports ..............................................................................................................................65 8.6.3 Postal/Mail-in Reports ..............................................................................................................65 8.7 Training ..................................................................................................................................................65 8.7.1 Support Level ...........................................................................................................................66 8.7.2 Operational Level .....................................................................................................................66 8.7.3 Management Level ...................................................................................................................66 PART THREE – Guidance .......................................................................................................................67 9 Guidance on Ballasting .......................................................................................................................................69 10 Deposit and Exchange Facilities .........................................................................................................................71 10.1 Reception Facilities.................................................................................................................................71 10.1.1 Ballast Water Reception Facility ...............................................................................................72 10.1.2 Sediment Reception Facility .....................................................................................................73 11 GloBallast ..................................................................................................................................................75 PART FOUR – Treatment Systems & Operation ...................................................................................77 12 Introduction to Treatment Technologies ..............................................................................................................79 12.1 Ballast Water Treatment System Requirements .....................................................................................79 13 Treatment Technologies – Physical Separation, Thermal, Ultraviolet and Plasma .............................................81 13.1 Physical Separation ................................................................................................................................81 13.1.1 The Hydrocyclone .....................................................................................................................81 13.1.2 Limitations and Advantages of Hydrocyclones .........................................................................82 13.1.3 FineBallast MF BWMS..............................................................................................................82 13.2 Heat Treatment Technology ....................................................................................................................83 13.2.1 Limitations and Advantages of Heat Treatment Technology .....................................................83 13.3 Ultraviolet Radiation/Advanced Oxidation Technology ...........................................................................84 13.3.1 Limitations and Advantages of UV Radiation Technology ........................................................84 13.3.2 Hyde GUARDIAN™ Ballast Water Treatment System .............................................................85 13.3.3 PureBallast Ballast Water Treatment System ...........................................................................86 13.3.4 Optimarin Ballast Water Treatment System ..............................................................................87 13.4 Plasma Technology .................................................................................................................................87 13.4.1 ARA Ballast BWMS...................................................................................................................88 14 Treatment Technologies – Cavitation, Deoxygenation, Magnetic and Ultrasonic ...............................................89 14.1 Cavitation/Shear Force Technology ........................................................................................................89 14.1.1 FineBallast OZ (previously known as SP Hybrid BWMS Ozone Version) ................................89 14.1.2 Unitor Ballast Water Management System ...............................................................................89 14.2 Deoxygenation/Supersaturation Technology ..........................................................................................90 xi 14.2.1 Limitations and Advantages of Deoxygenation Technology......................................................90 14.2.2 Pressure Swing Adsorption ......................................................................................................91 14.2.3 Membrane Technology .............................................................................................................92 14.2.4 OceanSaver Ballast Water Management System ....................................................................94 14.2.5 Venturi Oxygen Stripping (VOS) BWMS ...................................................................................94 14.2.6 Coldharbour BWTS ..................................................................................................................95 14.3 Magnetic/Electric Fields Technology .......................................................................................................95 14.3.1 ClearBallast Ballast Water Purification System ........................................................................95 14.4 Ultrasonic Technology .............................................................................................................................95 14.4.1 OceanGuard Ballast Water Management System ...................................................................96 14.4.2 AquaTriComb Ballast Water Management System ..................................................................96 14.4.3 BSKY™ Ballast Water Management System ..........................................................................96 15 Treatment Technologies – Chemical, Biocide and Electrochemical ....................................................................99 15.1 Chemical and Biocide Technology ..........................................................................................................99 15.1.1 Limitations and Advantages of Chemical and Biocide Technology ...........................................99 15.1.2 Types of Biocide .......................................................................................................................99 15.1.3 Sodium Hypochlorite (NaClO) ................................................................................................100 15.1.4 Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) ......................................................................................................100 15.1.5 Ozone (O3) ..............................................................................................................................100 15.1.6 Glutaraldehyde .......................................................................................................................102 15.1.7 Menadione ..............................................................................................................................102 15.1.8 Acrolein ...................................................................................................................................102 15.1.9 Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2)...........................................................................................................103 15.2 Electrochemical Technology .................................................................................................................103 15.2.1 BALPURE® Ballast Water Treatment System .........................................................................105 15.2.2 Electro-Cleen™ Ballast Water Management System .............................................................107 15.2.3 AQUARIUS™-EC Ballast Water Treatment System ...............................................................109 15.2.4 CleanBallast Ballast Water Treatment System .......................................................................109 16 Other Components Manufacturers use in the Assembly of Ballast Water Treatment Systems ........................111 16.1 The Boll Automatic Filter .......................................................................................................................111 16.2 The Hayward Self-Cleaning Strainer ....................................................................................................112 16.3 The Disc-Type Depth Filter ...................................................................................................................114 16.3.1 DiskFilter System ....................................................................................................................114 17 Ballast Water Monitoring ...................................................................................................................................115 17.1 Monitoring Capability ............................................................................................................................115 17.2 Arrival Ballast Conditions ......................................................................................................................115 17.3 Monitoring Stages .................................................................................................................................116 17.3.1 Stage 1 ...................................................................................................................................116 17.3.2 Stage 2 ...................................................................................................................................117 17.3.3 Stage 3 ...................................................................................................................................117 17.4 Post Treatment Monitoring....................................................................................................................118 17.5 Sampling ...............................................................................................................................................118 17.5.1 Sampling Issues .....................................................................................................................119 17.5.2 Protective Equipment .............................................................................................................120 17.6 Sediment...............................................................................................................................................120 17.7 Test Methods ........................................................................................................................................121 17.7.1 Colourimetric Test ...................................................................................................................121 17.7.2 Amperometry ..........................................................................................................................122 17.7.3 Immunofluorescence ..............................................................................................................122 17.7.4 Flow Cytometry ......................................................................................................................122 17.8 Monitoring that Requires Tank Entry .....................................................................................................123 17.9 Practical Considerations for Compliance with the D-2 Standards ........................................................124 18 Technical Issues & Benefits ..............................................................................................................................125 18.1 Installation.............................................................................................................................................125 19 Systems & Layouts ...........................................................................................................................................127 19.1 AQUARIUS™-EC Ballast Water Treatment System .............................................................................127 19.2 AQUARIUS™-UV Ballast Water Treatment System .............................................................................128 19.3 AquaStar™ Ballast Water Management System ..................................................................................129 19.4 AquaTriComb™ (ATC) Ballast Water Treatment System .....................................................................130 Contents xii Ballast Water Management 19.5 ARA Ballast (previously named ‘Blue Ocean Guardian’ (BOG) for basic approval) .............................131 19.6 BalClor™ Ballast Water Management System (previously called ‘Sunrui BWMS’ during the basic approval process) ..................................................................................................................132 19.7 BallastAce Ballast Water Treatment System ........................................................................................133 19.8 BallastMaster Ballast Water Management System ...............................................................................135 19.9 BALPURE® Ballast Water Treatment System ......................................................................................136 19.10 Blue Ocean Shield Ballast Water Management System .......................................................................137 19.11 BlueSeas Ballast Water Management System .....................................................................................138 19.12 BlueWorld Ballast Water Management System ...................................................................................139 19.13 BSKY™ Ballast Water Management System .......................................................................................140 19.14 CleanBallast® Ballast Water Treatment System....................................................................................141 19.15 ClearBallast Ballast Water Purification System ....................................................................................142 19.16 Coldharbour Ballast Water Treatment System .....................................................................................143 19.17 CrystalBallast® Ballast Water Treatment System ..................................................................................144 19.18 DESMI Ocean Guard Ballast Water Treatment System .......................................................................145 19.19 EcoBallast Ballast Water Treatment System ........................................................................................146 19.20 Ecochlor® Ballast Water Treatment System ..........................................................................................147 19.21 Electro-Cleen™ System (ECS) ............................................................................................................148 19.22 En-Ballast™ Ballast Water Management System ................................................................................149 19.23 ERMA FIRST Ballast Water Management System ...............................................................................150 19.24 FineBallast MF Ballast Water Management System ...........................................................................151 19.25 FineBallast® OZ Ballast Water Management System (previously known as the Special Pipe Hybrid BWMS combined with Ozone treatment version) .............................................................152 19.26 GloEn-Patrol™ Ballast Water Management System ............................................................................154 19.27 HiBallast™ Ballast Water Management System ...................................................................................155 19.28 Hyde GUARDIAN™ Ballast Water Treatment System .........................................................................156 19.29 MICROFADE Ballast Water Management System ...............................................................................157 19.30 Neo-Purimar™ Ballast Water Management System ............................................................................158 19.31 NK-03 BlueBallast System....................................................................................................................159 19.32 OceanGuard™ Ballast Water Management System ............................................................................160 19.33 OceanSaver® Ballast Water Treatment System (OS BWTS) ................................................................161 19.34 OPS (Ocean Protection System) Ballast Water Treatment System .....................................................163 19.35 Optimarin Ballast System .....................................................................................................................164 19.36 PureBallast Ballast Water Treatment System .......................................................................................166 19.37 Purimar™ Ballast Water Management System ....................................................................................168 19.38 SEI-Ballast Water Treatment System ...................................................................................................169 19.39 SiCURE™ Ballast Water Management System ...................................................................................170 19.40 SKY-SYSTEM® Ballast Water Management System ............................................................................171 19.41 ‘Smart Ballast’ Ballast Water Treatment System ..................................................................................172 19.42 Unitor Ballast Water Treatment System ................................................................................................173 19.43 Venturi Oxygen Stripping™ (VOS) Ballast Water Management System ..............................................174 19.44 Wärtsilä 500i Ballast Water Treatment System ....................................................................................175 20 Status of Systems – Basic/Final Approval at the IMO and those Type Approved (as at February 2011) .........177 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................183 1 Key Invasive Species ........................................................................................................................................185 1.1 The European Green Crab (Carcinus maenas) ....................................................................................185 1.2 Asian Kelp (Undaria pinnatifida) also known as Wakame ....................................................................186 1.3 Fishhook Water Flea (Cercopagis pengoi) ...........................................................................................188 1.4 Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) also known as the Shanghai Hairy Crab .............................190 1.5 Northern Pacific Sea Star (Asterias amurensis) also known as the Flatbottom Sea Star ....................191 1.6 Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha).................................................................................................193 1.7 Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus).............................................................................................195 1.8 North American Comb Jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) ..................................................................................197 1.9 Toxic Algae (Producing Harmful Algal Blooms) Various Species ..........................................................199 2 Cholera (Vibrio cholerae) (various strains) .......................................................................................................203 References ................................................................................................................................................205 Author’s References ................................................................................................................................................207 Ballast Water Exchange – The First Measure to Reduce the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species 19 3.3 Flow Through Exchange Method With this method, clean open seawater, of a volume equal to three times the tank capacity, is pumped through the tank to remove the uptake water from within the port area. This method has the advantage that it can be used in weather conditions that would be marginal for a sequential exchange. The exchange by flow through generally achieves the following results Up to: ? 63% ballast change achieved with 1 × volume of clean open ocean water ? 85% ballast change achieved with 2 × volume of clean open ocean water ? 98% ballast change achieved with 3 × volume of clean open ocean water Figure 3.9 Results of flow through exchanges (based on various research) •Flow through supposedly takes longer than sequential exchange, but the requirements to change pump speeds for different stages or slowing down for stripping or change of tanks may not exist •there is no real need to know the level of water within the tanks, unless on completion the tank level needs to be at a specific level •there is no significant change to displacement or trim and stability of the ship •sloshing and the effects of free surface on stability are eliminated. Courtesy of Timothy Mullady, Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre Figure 3.10 Flow through exchange Ship design is based on storm conditions and the likely water on deck. Any accumulation of water on deck, even at maximum pumping rates, should not affect stability. Outlet Air pipe Outlet may be a deck opening, but not an air pipe Figure 3.11 Flow through from tanks Inlet Outlet Outlet at 97% level Outlet should be large enough to allow for flow through volume to prevent flow from air pipe Inlet Outlet Inlet and outlet should be at opposite ends of the tank to allow for good dilution Figure 3.12 Drain pipe inside tank Recently built ships have drain pipes fitted inside the tanks. These collect the water at upper levels of the tank (for example 97%) and pass it through the drain provided at the side of the hull, preventing the water from flowing on deck. Figure 3.13 Ship deballasting alongside while loading 20 Ballast Water Management There are a number of issues associated with the flow through method: •If the flow is not controlled carefully, some water may flow through air pipes, raising maintenance concerns. Certain designs may not allow large volumes to flow through air pipes •on most ships, there is a need for certain weather deck openings to be kept open •during the overflow stage, the tanks may be under continuous positive pressure which, if the operation is not handled carefully, may at times exceed the design maximum pressure of the tank •on most ships, except those fitted with Natural Ballast Water Exchange, it is not possible to carry out flow through exchange from double bottom tanks •the method may have limited practicality in extreme cold conditions, where water on deck may begin to freeze or air pipes may block due to formation of ice, exposing the tanks to further excess pressure. Consideration should be given to hazards associated with the freezing of overboard discharge arrangements, air pipes, ballast system valves together with their means of control, and the accretion of ice on deck •work routine may require adjustment if water is overflowing on deck •there may be maintenance and corrosion concerns if water is overflowing on deck. Ships that normally keep some of their ballast tanks slack need to fill them up fully during flow through and, on completion of the three times volumetric exchange, need to bring them back to the voyage level. If such tanks are at the ends of the ship, the trim may be adversely affected. Not more than two tanks should flow through simultaneously. These tanks should be equidistant from the pump discharge, which will ensure balanced flow through the tanks. 3.4 Natural Ballast Water Exchange Method The Natural Ballast Water Exchange, designed by Teekay Shipping, is a method for exchanging ballast water using only minimum power. The system relies on natural flow and gravity forces to replace 95% of a ship’s ballast water in a significantly reduced time when compared with other methods currently used. This is of considerable advantage to VLCCs, which would take many days to exchange ballast several times during a voyage using traditional methods. Unlike the sequential and flow through methods, this system does not require operation of auxiliary machinery. The system requires an opening at the forward end and appropriate piping to allow inlet into the tanks at the forward end and outlet at the aft end (see Figure 3.15). Clean water is taken in via an inlet in the ship’s bow, utilising the pressure differential along the hull surface of the moving ship. It leads the clean open seawater into the water ballast tanks through the main water ballast line, using positive pressure to push out contaminated water. The contaminated water is removed from the ship through the sea chest by using the negative pressure or suction existing at the bottom of the hull surface of a moving ship. Pumping is only required at the final topping-up stage of the ballast water exchange operation. This method can conveniently be used for flow through from double bottom tanks that usually require sequential exchange. Nonindigenous Species (NIS) Treatment Rating System for Prince William Sound (PWS) Rating for Flow Through Method Rating Description Safety Environmental Efficacy Cost Practicality No incremental safety risk Technology removes NIS and has no negative impact on the environment Technology is effective, but may not be effective for all NIS of concern Technology is well established and proven cost effective Little or no impact on current operations, common technology Rating is based on a three star system; three stars is the highest rating, one star is the lowest rating. *** *** ** *** *** Figure 3.14 Rating the Flow Through Method as a viable Nonindigenous Species (NIS) Treatment Method (Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council) Ballast Water Exchange – The First Measure to Reduce the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species 21 Inlet at forward endOutlet at the bottom of hull (aft) Only tanks or levels up to or below the waterline may be exchanged Forward end Aft end Line from forward end of ship providing clean water at inlets at forward end of tanks Line from outlets at aft end of tanks removing original ballast water through aft end of ship Figure 3.15 Natural flow system StepTankNotesTime for exchange x3 (hours) PumpsCapacity (m3) Ballast Pump: GS Pump: 2,800 m3/hour 250 m3/hour BP GS FP AP 1 1 WT P.S 2 WT P.S 3 WT P.S 4 WT P.S 5 WT P.S 5,200 5,800 6,600 6,600 5,400 BP BP BP BP BP 5.6 6.2 7.1 7.1 5.8 2 3 4 5 6 3,270 750 BP GS 3.5 9.0 +0.6 Initial volume in AP is 600 m3. During flow through, fill up completely and on completion reduce to 600 m3 Ballast Pump = 35.3 Total Time = 35.3 GS Pump = 9.6 Figure 3.16 Flow through steps 22 Ballast Water Management Table 3.2 BWM options summary 3.5 BWM Options Summary Uptake port prior to departure (cargo discharge port) At sea options en routeArrival port options (cargo load port) Important Factors • Depth at berth • water temperature • water density/salinity • high sediment loads • known disease incidence • sewage discharge • dredging • minimum/acceptable light ballast condition • no ballasting when target organisms detected • no ballasting during darkness • port baseline survey results. • Open ocean • freshwater • coastal water. • Water temperature • water density/salinity • contingency plans of port and ship • port baseline survey results. Options • Sampling of water at berth • no uptake of ballast water • use high sea suction • treated ballast from shore facilities • treated water supplied by barge • freshwater from shore main • approved treatment methods. • Exchange • flushing of tank bottoms • approved treatment methods. • To reception facility • to barge • approved treatment methods • leave port and carry out exchange at sea, prior to return. Ballast Water Exchange – The First Measure to Reduce the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species 23 Figure 3.17 Ballast operations planning checklist Planning Checklist Has plan been prepared as per sequence in the ship’s BWM Plan? Have exact quantities of fuel, diesel and lubricating oils been obtained? Have exact quantities of freshwater and stores been obtained? Has the passage plan been prepared to take BW exchange into account? Is draught adequate at all stages? Is trim adequate at all stages? Are stability, FSE and GM adequate at all stages? Are stresses within the maximum permissible limits for seagoing condition? Are exact quantities of ballast water in each tank known and recorded? Have specific instructions of Port State and terminal been taken into account? Are there any known defects which may impair the BWM operations? If yes, please expand. Y/N Have all relevant departments and officers/crew been briefed about the plan? 3.6 Ballast Operations Checklists 24 Ballast Water Management Figure 3.18 Ballast pre-operations checklist Pre-Operations Checklist Are the weather conditions and sea state within acceptable limits? Confirm with the bridge that the ship is more than 200 nm from nearest land Confirm with the bridge that the ship is in more than 200 m depth of water Are crew and officers rested as per hours of work regulations? Has notice been served for pumps? Is the pumproom ventilation running, where applicable? Check and confirm power available for all controls, including lubricants and oil levels: • Hydraulic • Pneumatic • Electric • Steam Have all concerned been advised of the time of commencement? Has tank atmosphere been evaluated for O2 and gas, where applicable? Have the tank level gauges been checked for accuracy? Are manual means of sounding/gauging available and operational? Is the deck watch in attendance and properly equipped/attired? Have deck operations been ceased (if water to overflow on deck)? Have the air pipes been set appropriately and are they clear? Have the P/V valves been set appropriately, where applicable? Is the IG/nitrogen plant ready for use and on-line, where applicable? Have the relevant deck openings been opened, where applicable? Have tank overflow line valves been opened, where applicable? Has the line been set for the appropriate pump and the set of tanks? Has the company been informed of the time of planned commencement? Ballast Water Exchange – The First Measure to Reduce the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species 25 Figure 3.19 Ballast during operations checklist During Operations Checklist Monitor weather conditions – cease operations if these are beyond limits Bridge to inform if distance from nearest land or depth is less than required Check on pumps and power plant Check on all plant oil levels Confirm tank levels on a regular basis, in line with the exchange plan stages Record tank soundings/levels Check on tank ventilation arrangements to prevent over or under pressurisation Check tank atmosphere for O2 and gas, where applicable Complete a stage as per plan prior to moving on to the next stage Check crew and officers are well rested prior to proceeding to the next stage Keep a check and log on pump seals, suction and discharge pressures, pump casing temperatures, salinity of water Keep a check and log IG/N2 quality, temperature and pressure, where used Keep a check on pumproom atmosphere, where applicable Keep a check on pumproom bilge level, where applicable Are there any deviations from the plan? If yes, please expand. Y/N Maintain running records of all operations 26 Ballast Water Management Figure 3.20 Ballast on completion of operations checklist On Completion Checklist Have all the stages of the plan been completed? Are all the final tank levels as per the plan? Have all pumps been stopped? Are all the valves shut and secured? Are all deck openings closed and secured? Are all overflow tank valves shut and secured? Are air pipes and P/V valves set to the voyage conditions? Are all sounding/level pipes closed? Are tank pressure and atmosphere set to voyage conditions, if applicable? Ensure all relevant plants are stopped Check and empty pumproom bilge, where applicable Are all records, logs and reports completed as per BWM Plan and SMS? Inform the company of completion of exchange operations Ballast Water Exchange – The First Measure to Reduce the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species 27 3.7 No Ballast Onboard (NOBOB) Ships These are not ships that have been specifically redesigned to operate without ballast water. A NOBOB vessel has no pumpable ballast onboard. These vessels were originally believed to be free of invasive organisms and pose no threat of contaminating new habitats with nuisance species, but research has shown otherwise. Ships that arrive in the Great Lakes with their cargo do not require ballast but, once unloaded, they can use Great Lakes water to ballast for stability between other Great Lakes ports. This ballast is not now pure Great Lakes water, but a mixture that includes residual foreign water, sediment from previous ballasting operations and any organisms carried with it. Up to 90% of the saltwater ships entering the Great Lakes are declared to be NOBOB vessels and in the past have been exempt from regulatory requirements. If a ship has declared it is a NOBOB ship, this does not mean that there are no organisms onboard or that they cannot be released into a new habitat through ballasting procedures. In August 2005, the United States Coast Guard introduced best management practices for NOBOB vessels, which encouraged them to conduct mid-ocean ballast water exchange on ballast-laden voyages. If a vessel could not conduct mid-ocean exchange, it was encouraged to conduct a saltwater flushing of its empty ballast tanks. In 2006, Canadian regulations made it mandatory for all ships entering waters under Canadian jurisdiction to comply with the IMO ballast water exchange standards, including those for NOBOB ships. These NOBOB vessels were required to expose residual water to conditions equivalent to ballast water exchange through saltwater flushing procedures before arriving in Montreal. A new Great Lakes Seaway regulation was implemented at the start of the 2008 navigation season requiring all NOBOB ships headed for US ports to engage in saltwater flushing of their ballast water tanks before entering the Seaway, so bringing US regulations in line with those of Canada. Scientists believe that such saltwater flushing can add additional protection against aquatic invasive species, but it should not be assumed to be foolproof. The mandatory ballast water regulations provide a tougher enforcement regime for NOBOB ships in order to protect the Great Lakes Seaway System, and these include: •Saltwater flushing •detailed documentation requirements •increased inspections •civil penalties. The timeline for ballast water legislation, which includes NOBOB ships, in the Great Lakes is: •All ocean-going ships (including NOBOBs) will be required to conduct ballast water exchange until the treatment standards take effect •when they are first dry-docked, ships will be required to install treatment technology that meets, at a minimum, the international standard set by the IMO starting on 1st January 2009 •starting on 1st January 2012, but not later than 31st December 2013, vessels must adopt the US standard (100 times stronger than the IMO standard) when they are first dry-docked •ships will be allowed to use the installed treatment technology for 10 years •the bill allows for the possibility that the technology necessary to meet the ballast water standards may not be available. A vessel can install current less stringent technology before 2012 and not be required to install a new system that meets the higher standards until 2022. 3.8 The Ballastless Ship Average global trade is growing and in 2004 a study estimated that global shipping used 3.5 billion tonnes of ballast water a year and by 2019 this would increase to 7 billion tonnes of ballast water. Ballast water treatments are geared to eliminate all life in the ballast water since the removal of specific organisms, ie only the ones that could be potentially harmful at the destination port, is a far distant dream due to the complexity of the problem. This means that by 2019 there will be a considerable volume of ballast water in service in which all the organisms will be eradicated. The goal is to reduce the risk of certain nonindigenous aquatic species from one ecosystem being introduced to another and permanently damaging this new environment. However it is not the goal to alter drastically the biodiversity of areas of ocean by removing large numbers of organisms from their natural ecosystems within the vast quantities of ballast water taken onboard, only to replace it with sterilised treated ballast water. It is virtually impossible to judge how this will affect ecosystems. An ideal situation would be not to remove or replace anything at all. It is estimated that between 4,000 and 10,000 different species (both known and unknown) may be carried globally in ballast water each day. 28 Ballast Water Management It is imperative that shipping meets the impending legislative challenge of the BWM Convention, and producing ballast water of the required quality will only be feasible by using one of the ballast water treatments on offer. However the long-term future of shipping involves the innovative, thoughtful and often radical ideas involved with redesigning vessels to operate safely and efficiently without the need for ballast water. 3.8.1 The Variable Buoyancy Ship The Variable Buoyancy Ship is a concept that has been model tested and uses the Longitudinal Trunk Method (created by Prof Michael Parsons, University of Michigan) which, instead of adding weight, uses reduced buoyancy to lower the ship down to safe operating draughts when not carrying cargo. This is achieved by constructing the vessel such that structural trunks, of sufficient volume, extend most of the length of the ship below the “ballast waterline”. These trunks are then opened to the sea when the ship has no cargo. When the ship is at speed, the natural pressure difference between the bow and the stern of the ship induces a slow flow through these open trunks with the result that they are always being filled with local seawater. It takes about one hour for the water to be completely exchanged through the open trunks. The vessel also uses a closed trim system using the fore peak tank and the aft peak tank so that all traditional ballast is eliminated. The design meets SOLAS and Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) guidelines for safety. Although extra steel is required for the design, it is anticipated that there will be a fuel saving of 1.7% when compared with a standard design. 3.8.2 The Non Ballast Water Ship The Non Ballast Water Ship concept involves redesigning the ship itself so as to remove the need to rely on ballast water, except in certain special circumstances. This innovative concept essentially consists of designing the ship so that its centreline sits more deeply in the water than in the more conventional flat bottom design of most commercial ships currently in service. The aim of the approach is to maintain sufficient draught without using any ballast water when unloaded to avoid bow slamming and propeller racing, while ensuring sufficiently safe operation when underway in most sea conditions. This is achieved through the use of a transversely raked bottom design. The resulting decrease in displacement is compensated for by increasing the breadth, length, and draught of the vessel. Development of the novel Non Ballast Water Ship design first began in 2001 by the Shipbuilding Research Centre of Japan (SRC). R&D into the design entered a new stage in 2003 with the start of a three-year joint project using tank tests under the auspices of the SRC. The project was promoted by the Japan Ship Technology Research Association with support from the Nippon Foundation and undertaken in cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, IHI Marine United Inc, the SRC and ClassNK, which played both leading and technical roles in the project. The project aimed to determine the practical feasibility of the design in terms of satisfying requirements for safe operation, existing regulatory and other relevant standards, seakeeping performance and economic viability by studying the application of the design to a Suezmax tanker and VLCC. Main benefits of the Non Ballast Water Ship: •Prevention of marine pollution. The ballast-free hull form prevents transfer of ballast water and invasive organisms to other sea areas •Safety. Safe operation occurs without water ballast. Ship motion and bow slamming are on the same level as a similar sized conventional ship. The broader transverse hull form maintains the ship’s equilibrium against rolling. The vessel’s manoeuvrability complies with IMO standards •Economy. More than 6% power/propulsion savings. Increased building costs, which are due to greater steel use, are offset by improved propulsion efficiency. 3.9 Permissible BWM Methods Restrictions on ballast water exchange and phase out dates are given in Table 4.4.