Shipping companies have a degree of responsibility over whether they actually manage to remove organisms from ballast water before discharging. How can this be best done? Tanker Operator magazine spoke to Chelsea Technologies. Just buying and installing a type approved ballast water system may not be enough to guarantee regulatory compliance, says Matt Kenney, head of marketing with Chelsea Technologies, a UK specialist in sensor design and manufacture. Shipping companies have a degree of responsibility over whether the ballast water they discharge contains organisms above the allowed limit. In most maritime state legislatures, ship operators are deemed accountable for “knowing”Read more

The implementation of the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) 0.5% sulphur cap is set to be the first of many new environmental regulations over the coming years. Introduced to reduce the shipping industry’s impact on the heath and wellbeing of seafarers, and coastal communities, there is still some uncertainty about future regulation. With this in mind, ship owners and operators need to ensure that they are making careful and considered decisions in relation to the future design of their vessels, if they are to comply with future regulation, while also protecting investments. It is critical for both those who have alreadyRead more

Installing a scrubber represents a significant investment for a shipowner. With the financial cost of the system and its installation, coupled with the lay-up time – no shipowner can take the decision lightly; with the reduced spread between HSFO and VLSFO increasing pay back times, scrubbers need to make sense as an even longer-term investment today. The economic case for scrubbers remains strong, though. If HSFO remains cheaper than VLSFO, scrubbers will represent a return on investment for shipowners and the current gap is highly likely to increase rather than decrease any further. Then there is the issue of fuelRead more

‘How do I help vessel owners ensure that they are making a choice that is future proof?’ article by Emma Johnson Investments can be precarious in the current climate. Therefore, all steps must be taken to validate any recommendations for compliance solution to shipowners to enable peace of mind and safeguard operations. In the case of scrubbers, it is imperative that shipowners have an in-built capability to allow them to monitor and manage wash water, providing assurance, but also – vitally – a tangible resource for regulators, as well as insurers, charterers and financiers. To stay afloat in 21st century shipping means always being one step ahead of the curve. Read more

Our Maritime Manager, Emma Johnson, recently spoke to International Tug& OSV Magazine & Annual Review on the importance of accurate and cost-effective ballast water monitoring in safeguarding compliance. Check out the full article on p.67. http://www.tugandosv.com/flipbook/4746860030i-67Read more

Our Global Business Development Manager, Matt Kenney, takes the complex issue of Ballast Water Monitoring and distills it in to three bite-sized steps to compliance. The key is to understand the potential pitfalls. The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (2004) – herein referred to as the ‘BW Convention’ – is now an integrated part of operating a modern shipping fleet. Since 2017, all compliant ships have been employing a certified ballast water management plan, and any applicable vessels not yet fitted with a suitable ballast water treatment system should now be scheduledRead more