Lloyd's Register releases guide to ballast water treatment
technology
Lloyd's Register has today released a new Guide to Ballast
Water Treatment Technology that provides an independent and
impartial description and appraisal of commercially available and
developing technologies for ballast water treatment. It is the
result of work conducted by the internationally respected Centre
for Water Science at Cranfield University, UK on behalf of Lloyd's
Register.
The treatment of ballast water is one of the most significant
environmental and operational challenges facing the marine industry
today. In the face of new legislation, ship designers, shipbuilders
and ship operators will need to choose ballast water management
solutions that will work for them. The new Guide is intended to
provide an overview of the current status of ballast water
treatment technologies.
A global requirement for ballast water treatment arises from the
International Convention for The Control of Ships' Ballast Water
and Sediments, which will require certain ship types to use
treatment systems from January 1, 2009.
Dr. Gillian Reynolds, Environmental Manager in the Research and
Development Department at Lloyd's Register, introduced the Guide at
an IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) seminar
today. "The Guide to Ballast Water Treatment Technology is
intended to support both ship operators and regulators in helping
them to understand the availability and development of commercial
solutions and the technologies involved," she said. "An immediate
concern is whether approved ballast water treatment systems will be
commercially available to meet the first deadline. This new Guide -
the first of its kind - provides the industry with a practical
insight into the efficacy, technical and economic viability, and
testing and approval status of ballast water treatment
solutions."
It is envisaged that the Guide will be updated in 2008.
Ends.
Notes to editors
1. Lloyd's Register is an independent risk management
organisation. The Lloyd's Register Group works to help improve its
clients' quality, safety, environmental and business performance
throughout the world, because life matters. Its expertise and
activities cover shipping, railways, other land-based industries
and oil and gas. The Group comprises charities and non-charitable
companies, with the latter supporting the charities in their main
public benefit goal.
2. Ballast water treatment systems will have to be fitted to and
used onboard ships with a ballast water capacity of less than 5,000
cubic metres constructed on or after January 1, 2009, when the
Convention is intended to come into force.
3. Please contact either Gill Reynolds or Nicholas Brown for a copy
of the Guide.
For further information, contact
Nicholas A K Brown
Marine Communications Manager
Lloyd's Register Marine Business
T +44 (0)20 7423 1706
M +44 (0)7769 878501
E
nicholasak.brown@lr.org
Dr. Gillian Reynolds
Environmental Manager
Research & Development
Lloyd's Register
T +44 (0) 7423 1854
E
gill.reynolds@lr.org
Lloyd's Register
71 Fenchurch Street
London EC3M 4BS, UK
T +44 (0)20 7709 9166
F +44 (0)20 7488 4796
E news@lr.org
www.lr.org
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are exempt charities under the
UK Charities Act 1993.