Dutch firms pool resources on turnkey ballast water service
From September, all ocean-going vessels making international voyages will be required to install, or have access to, a BWMS
Under the terms of the agreement, Rotterdam-based Alewijnse Marine will undertake the integration of ballast water treatment units – based on various technologies including ultra-violet, electrolysis and chemicals – with existing shipboard systems. Prior to installation, Medir International will provide 3D scanning of shipboard spaces including engine and pump rooms, whilst Zwijndrecht-based Leemberg will be in charge of integrating ballast water treatment system components and piping with ships’ existing ballast systems.
The IMO’s long-awaited convention to limit the spread of invasive species in ships’ ballast water will finally enter force on September 8th this year. Originally adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 2004, the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments is thought likely to hasten the scrapping of many older vessels for which the necessary investment makes no sense.
From September onwards, many thousands of ocean-going vessels deployed on international voyages will require the installation of ballast water treatment systems, mostly over the next five years, at a cost to the industry of many billions of dollars.
