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Invasive Species Compliance – Why Monitor Ballast Water?

15.03.2023

Excerpt: Why are invasive species problematic? As unavoidable as it might sound for any successful species to expand its geography, today’s world is one in which a species can end up transported 10s of 1000s of km away from its native range, which can quickly create an unnatural imbalance, and which is why compliance is now mandatory. Invasive species are problematic for various reasons: Factors (ie predators) that limit the invasive species where it came from are either absent in the new area, or Invasive species outcompete native species for resources and quickly become dominant, or Invasive species act as a vector for viruses and diseases that the native species do not have resistance for. The latter has been a particularRead more

What is Invasive Species Dispersal by Ballast Water?

01.03.2023

Excerpt: How does Invasive Species Dispersal in Ballast Water Occur? As vessels take on ballast water in one location, they can inadvertently pick up aquatic organisms. Such organisms can then be transported to a different location when the ship discharges its ballast water. If the new environment is suitable for the organisms, they can establish populations, becoming invasive species. Ballast water discharge can occur in both coastal and open ocean environments, increasing the potential for invasive species to spread to new areas. What are the Ecological Impacts of Ballast Water Invasive Species Dispersal? The ecological impacts of invasive species dispersed by ballast water can be significant. These species can outcompete native species for food and habitat, altering entire ecosystems. They canRead more

The Importance of Monitoring Wash Water for Scrubbers

03.02.2023

Excerpt: The importance of monitoring wash water for scrubbers cannot be understated. It is clearly crucial for shipowners that they take the best option for their vessels and operations to ensure compliance with the regulations. For those considering making the investment in scrubbers, they will need to fully understand both the regulatory and operational implications and will actively seek reassurance that making the investment to install a system will result in compliance with all applicable regulations. For scrubber manufacturers, the onus is on them to provide reliable proof that their systems are fit for purpose and will not create further regulatory complications for their customers. It is only though accurate monitoring that both of these criteria can be met. Importance ofRead more

Monitoring Wash Water on a Ship

01.02.2023

Excerpt: In the 2008 amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI, the IMO agreed in Regulation 14 to reduce the maximum allowable sulphur content of marine fuels from 4.5% to 3.5% in 2012, and then to 0.5% in 2020, except in sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs), where the maximum sulphur content was limited to 1.0% in July 2010 and 0.1% in January 2015. The IMO agreed to implement the 0.50% sulphur limit in 2020 based on research showing that sufficient quantities of compliant, low-sulphur-content fuel would be available in 2020 (Faber et al., 2016) and that doing so would prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths each year by reducing air pollution (SofievRead more

IMO-compliant PAH+ and Turbidity Sensors for Retrofit

Invasive Species in the Marine Environment

23.01.2023

Excerpt: FastBallast is capable of determining the phytoplankton cell density of ballast water at the IMO D2 & USCG Discharge Standards (10 to 50 µm range) with a higher degree of confidence than laboratory analysis. As well as its established presence in Europe and Asia, Chelsea Technologies’ FastBallast is in use worldwide, to help ensure industry tools for portable ballast water testing standards. What is an Invasive Species? An invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area; it has ‘invaded’ an area and hence the very specific description ‘invasive’. It is not the same as a successful or rampant species that’s native to the area. Successful species can and do of course extend theirRead more

Compliance Testing on Sea Vessels

15.12.2022

Excerpt: The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948 and came into existence ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, IMO currently has 175 Member States and three Associate Members. Amongst other regulatory responsibilities, the IMO also has responsibility the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships and for the prevention of invasive species in ballast water. Wash water compliance On January 1st, 2020, a new IMO compliance limit on the sulphur content (SOx) in the fuel oil used onboard ships came into force. Known as IMO 2020, the rule limits the sulphur in the fuel oil used on board ships operating outside designated emissionRead more

Fuel & Water Pollution

07.06.2022

Excerpt: It is against the law to cause pollution and for the last five years, fuels have consistently been among the UK’s top three pollutants. This means that any fuel spill or leak needs serious and imminent attention. Just one litre of oil is enough to contaminate one million litres of water, putting human life, wildlife and vegetation at severe risk. Depending on the density of the oil, it will either float, semi-submerge or sink in river, lake or stream water. The same oil, however, may have a different reaction when in seawater as the salt changes the density of the water. Oil leaks and spills are tightly monitored in the UK and polluters run the risk of running foul ofRead more

Meet Chelsea At Posidonia 2022

23.05.2022

Excerpt: Michael, representing Chelsea Technologies at Posidonia 2022, has more than 25 years of strategic experience across a myriad of maritime sectors. Throughout his career, he has been a prominent crusader for environmental sustainability and marine safety. Michael has been instrumental in the development of international mandatory regulations requiring water ingress alarms on bulk carriers and in forming BWT regulations. Chelsea Technologies is also represented at Posidonia 2022 by Helexco, specialists in the provision of ship equipment, and both Michael Haraldsson and Helexco will be available to discuss Chelsea’s maritime solutions at stand 4.221 during the exhibition. Chelsea Technologies’ Maritime Products Sea Sentry Fully integrated turnkey solution to monitor exhaust gas wash water and meet IMO regulations DNV-GL Type Approved, DNV-GLRead more

Fluorescence Ballast Water Testing: STAF or PAM?

31.01.2022

Excerpt: Fluorescence ballast water testing tools come in two varieties: STAF (Single Turnover Active Fluorometry) and PAM (Multiple Turnover Pulse Amplitude Modulated). In this article, we’re taking a look at some of the key differences that set these two techniques apart, and how these differences impact the results of ballast water compliance testing. Ballast water testing: why? Ballast water is defined as water taken on board a ship to control trim, list, draught, stability or stresses of the ship. Ballast water operations are essential for the safe operation of ships and a perfectly standard part of shipping – ballast water provides stability and maneuverability both during voyages and during loading and unloading operations. Ships are designed and built to move throughRead more

Fluorescence Ballast Water Testing: STAF or PAM

The Science Behind Chelsea Technologies: Excerpts & Updates

18.01.2022

Excerpt: We probably don’t talk about the science behind Chelsea Technologies as much as we might, but academia isn’t short of research papers that reference our science, scientists and apparatus, and this small overview highlights some of the recent publications relevant to our technology. Paper: Single-Turnover Variable Chlorophyll Fluorescence as a Tool for Assessing Phytoplankton Photosynthesis and Primary Productivity: Opportunities, Caveats and Recommendations In this paper, the authors assist the existing and upcoming user community by providing an overview of current approaches and consensus recommendations for the use of ST-ChlF measurements to examine in-situ phytoplankton productivity and photo-physiology. The authors argue that a consistency of practice and adherence to basic operational and quality control standards is critical to ensuring data inter-comparability. LargeRead more

Ballast Water Webinar Week

17.01.2022

Excerpt: Chelsea Technologies’ Michael Haraldsson joins the panel this week at Ballast Water Webinar Week to discuss the many issues that are surfacing around commissioning testing. The amendments to regulation E-1 of the BWM Convention adopted by MECP 74 require biological efficacy testing when commissioning a BWTS on board a vessel. But what happens if the commissioning test is unsuccessful? Beginning Tuesday 18 January, Ballast Water Webinar Week will be holding a series of webinars focused on deadlines, commissioning tests and shipowner requirements for 2022 and 2023. Each webinar is meticulously researched and speaks to a key industry challenge, headache or opportunity. Registration is free, to register, please sign up here. See also: Fastballast at Ballast Water Webinar Week Chelsea Technologies’ FastballastRead more

Protecting The Marine Environment In Our Changing World With Chelsea Technologies

11.11.2021

Excerpt: Why is global shipping rising? With so many stores closed during the Pandemic, consumers globally had no option but to turn to the internet to buy the products they need. The pandemic sharply accelerated the shift towards a more digital world and triggered global changes in online shopping behaviours that are likely to last well beyond 2021. A key thing to note is that this acceleration towards online shopping is a global phenomenonas is the new urgency protecting the marine environment: in developed economies, online shopping was already popular, but some of the largest increases were in China and India, with consumers in emerging economies making the greatest shift to online shopping, as reported by the United Nations Conference onRead more

Being Part Of The Solution: How Chelsea Technologies Research And Innovation Is Tackling Climate Change

09.11.2021

Excerpt: Why does Phytoplankton matter regarding climate change? Seen from space, earth is unquestionably an ocean planet; a beautiful blue marble serenely floating in a cold empty void. Standing at any shore, the big blue appears endless and even somewhat empty, filled with nothing but water. But below the surface, the ocean is in fact brimming with microscopic plants called Phytoplankton. If you were to take an empty glass and scoop up some water from the shore, in that glass you would have between 75-100 million Phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are the foundation of the aquatic food web, the primary producers, feeding everything from microscopic, animal-like zooplankton to the largest creature on earth, multi-ton whales. Small fish and invertebrates also graze on theseRead more

Ocean Business 2021

04.10.2021

Excerpt: Chelsea Technologies is exhibiting at this year Ocean Business 2021 from Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th October 2021 at the National Oceanography Centre, in Southampton, UK Discover innovations at the forefront of ground-breaking ocean technology at Ocean Business 2021. Ocean Business 2021 is a free event for everyone in the ocean science and technology community. Visit us on Booth #T8 to discuss your current and upcoming projects, as well as learn more about our latest inspirational technology. On display are a range of sensors and systems for marine science, including Multi-parameter and active fluorometers for the following applications: Primary Productivity Estimation In situ Algal Monitoring Pollution Monitoring Nutrient Stress Analysis Climate Change Research Monitoring of Hydrocarbons Our sales executive Ben GoymerRead more

Chelsea Technologies is exhibiting at this year Ocean Business 2021 from Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th October 2021 at the National Oceanography Centre, in Southampton, UK

2021: A Second Wave of Scrubbers

24.02.2021

Excerpt: It’s easy to mistake January 2021 for January 2020 with all the talk of widening HSFO / VLSFO spreads. And as numerous scrubber manufacturers have hinted in recent weeks, it’s looking increasingly likely that there’s going to be a second wave of shipowners installing scrubbers. The price differential has been slowly climbing for a couple of months now, and recent analysis by Greg Miller suggests that Capesizes with scrubbers are already looking at more than $2,500 per day of savings. Indeed, as TradeWinds reported on 28 January, a scrubber fitted VLCC was recently fixed at a time charter equivalent rate that’s almost three times more than equivalent non-scrubber tonnage. Shipowners are also recognising the upside. Back in December 2020, ONERead more

Marine Air Pollution: Scrubber manufacturers take on maritime GHG emissions, by Craig Jallal

05.01.2021

Excerpt: Scrubber experts relayed their experience of retrofit installation, wastewater monitoring and lowering the closed-loop scrubber carbon footprint during the Marine Air Pollution, Europe conference during a session sponsored by Yara Marine Technologies. During the session, Chelsea's Matthew Kenney tackled the topic of wash water monitoring. Chelsea Technologies is the provider of the Sea Sentry IMO-compliant wash water monitoring system. He noted that around 80% of scrubbers in use are open loop, meaning that seawater is pumped into the gas desulphurisation unit and back out to sea. “The whole issue of waste water is poised to be a more pressing issue throughout 2021,” he said. “This is because the rules have not been set and Wash water rules are sitting in the awkward guidelines space as an annex to the main regulations.” Read more