Statutory Alert: Adjustment to Ballast Water Management Convention implementation schedule.
11 January, 2014
Applicability: All ships that load and discharge ballast water
Please note: this Class News is a reissue and replaces the version sent on 10 January, 2014. The table has been amended to clarify the implementation dates for Regulation D-2 of the Ballast Water Management Convention.
The International Maritime Organization’s governing body, the Assembly, recently adopted Resolution A.1088(22) which adjusts the implementation schedule for the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention. The major changes are that:
- all ships that are in service and under construction at the time that the Convention enters into force are considered to be existing ships
- the BWM Convention renewal survey has been harmonised with the MARPOL IOPP renewal survey
- references to compliance by the next “intermediate or renewal survey” have been changed to compliance by the next “renewal survey”.
The table below shows the adjusted implementation schedule, detailing the dates by which ships will be required to discharge ballast water in compliance with the D-2 discharge standard (i.e., using a ballast water treatment system). Note: as the Convention cannot be amended before it enters into force, the Resolution only recommends that administrations apply these changes. However once the Convention enters into force it is likely that these changes will quickly be mandated by an amendment to the Convention.
Once the Convention enters into force, all ships will also be required to have on board an approved ballast water management plan and ballast water record book.
| Ballast capacity | Existing ships Constructed (keel laid) before 2009 |
Existing ships Constructed (keel laid) in or after 2009 but before 2012 |
Existing ships Constructed (keel laid) in or after 2012 |
| Less than 1,500m3 |
Entry into force (EIF) before 1 January, 2017: compliance by 1st IOPP renewal survey after the anniversary date of the delivery of the ship in 2016 EIF after 31 December, 2016: compliance by 1st IOPP renewal survey after EIF |
Compliance by 1st IOPP renewal survey after EIF | |
| Between 1,500m3 and 5,000m3 |
Compliance by 1st IOPP renewal survey after EIF | ||
| Greater than 5,000m3 |
EIF before 1 January, 2017: compliance by 1st IOPP renewal survey after the anniversary date of the delivery of the ship in 2016 EIF after 31 December, 2016: compliance by 1st IOPP renewal survey after EIF |
Compliance by 1st IOPP renewal survey after EIF | |
The adjusted implementation schedule for compliance with the D-2 discharge standard
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