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Class News No. 30/2016

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14 September 2016

Statutory Alert: Ballast Water Management

Convention to enter into force on 8 September 2017
Applicability: All shipowners and operators

Please note: this Class News is a reissue and replaces the version sent on 8
September 2016. It has been amended to provide further clarity on the
compliance schedule.
The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast
Water and Sediments (the Ballast Water Management Convention) will enter into
force on 8 September 2017. This follows the IMO confirming that the conditions for
initiating entry into force were met on 8 September 2016.

What does this mean for you?

By 8 September 2017, all ships (i.e. vessels of any type operating in the aquatic
environment, including submersibles, floating craft, floating platforms, floating
storage units (FSUs) and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units)
will be required to:
have an approved ballast water management plan on board,
maintain a ballast water record book,
manage their ballast water on every voyage by performing ballast water
exchange (or by treating it using an approved ballast water treatment system),
and
undertake an initial survey and be issued with an International Ballast Water
Management Certificate (for ships of 400 gross tonnage and above to which
the Convention applies, excluding floating platforms, FSUs and FPSOs). Ships
that are registered with flag administrations that are not yet a party to the
Convention will need to demonstrate compliance and may wish to undergo
surveys and be issued with a document of compliance.
At a later date, ships will also be required to:

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manage their ballast water on every voyage by treating it using an approved

ballast water treatment system.
The compliance schedule for when ships will be required to install and use a
treatment system is as follows:
New ships Compliance on delivery for ships constructed on or after entry into
force.
Existing ships Compliance by first IOPP renewal survey on or after entry into
force.
A treatment system is required to be fitted to vessels that carry out an IOPP renewal
survey on or after 8 September 2017. The IOPP renewal survey refers to the
renewal survey associated with the IOPP Certificate required under MARPOL Annex
I.
Please note that the Convention does not normally apply to:
ships not carrying ballast water,
domestic ships,
ships that only operate in waters under the jurisdiction of one party and on the
high seas,
warships, naval auxiliary or other ships owned or operated by a state (although
states are encouraged to adopt appropriate measures to ensure that the ships
act in a manner consistent with the Convention), or
permanent ballast water in sealed tanks on ships, which is not subject to
discharge.
Additionally, under certain circumstances, flag administrations may issue exemptions
from the Convention requirements for:
ships engaged on occasional or one-off voyages between specified ports or
locations, or
ships that operate exclusively between specified ports or locations.

For further information

For more information on the Ballast Water Management Convention, see the IMO
website.
Lloyds Register guidance on ballast water management is available at
www.lr.org/bwm.
Alternatively, speak to one of our experts at your local Lloyds Register Group office

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