ICS Calls For Industry Cooperation on $100 Billion BWM Bill

ICS says the industry could collectively spend $100 billion to install the new ballast water treatment systems. File Image / Pixabay

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) today called on shipowners, equipment manufacturers, and governments to cooperate to ensure the proper implementation of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention - set to enter into force on Friday.

"The industry may collectively need to spend around 100 billion U.S. dollars in order to install the new ballast water treatment systems that will be required by law. We therefore have to get this right," said Esben Poulsson, Chairman of ICS.

"We need to ensure, so far as practicable, that the systems installed on ships will indeed be fit for purpose in all known operating conditions worldwide.  We are therefore advising shipping companies that they should make it clear to equipment manufacturers they will only consider fitting treatment systems which have been certified in accordance with the revised IMO type-approval standards adopted in 2016, even though this is not yet a mandatory requirement."

As Ship & Bunker has reported, the International Maritime Organization's (IMO's) 71st session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee  (MEPC 71) moved to extend compliance dates for the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention for existing vessels.

MEPC 71 decided that ships constructed after September 8, 2017 must comply on delivery with the BWM Convention, while existing vessels in general will have until the first International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) renewal survey after September 8, 2019 - a decision that ICS has welcomed.

"We acknowledge the pragmatic approach to implementation taken by IMO Member States who accepted the arguments made by ICS and other industry associations that there is little logic, from an environmental protection standpoint, in requiring thousands of ships to comply until they can be fitted with systems that have been approved under the more stringent standards," said Poulsson.

"Shipowners must make full use of this additional time to identify and invest in far more robust technology to the benefit of the environment. in view of the significant concessions that IMO has now made in response to the industry's representations, shipping companies should not anticipate any further relaxation to the implementation schedule.

As Ship & Bunker has previously reported, some analysts believe that tanker rates could get a further boost as tonnage is taken out of service for special surveys or dry docking ahead of the BWM Convention's implementation.