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About Ballast Water
Ships move over 80% of the world's commodities. In addition they transfer approximately 3 to 10 billion tonnes ballast water worldwide each year.
The introduction of invasive marine species into new environments by ship's ballast water, attached to ship's hull and via other vectors has been identified as one of the four greatest threats to the world's oceans.
Legislation and Regulations
In anticipation of this threat the International IMO member countries agreed to develop a mandatory international legal regime to regulate and control ballast water.
This culminated in the adoption of a convention requiring ballast water treatment, to be effective, from February 13, 2004, with a succeeding ratification process (Additional MEPC 52/ WP.7, as per June 2005 MEPC 53).
The International Convention for the control and management of ship's ballast water and sediments, 2004, mandates that all ships that carry ballast water, install a Ballast Water Management System by the year 2016. Greenship's Ballast Water Management System-Sedinox® is designed to perform well within every standard proposed by IMO.
Legislation and Regulations
In anticipation of this threat the International IMO member countries agreed to develop a mandatory international legal regime to regulate and control ballast water.
This culminated in the adoption of a convention requiring ballast water treatment, to be effective, from February 13, 2004, with a succeeding ratification process (Additional MEPC 52/ WP.7, as per June 2005 MEPC 53
About Sediment
Every ton of sediment in ballast tanks is one to many.
Tons of sediment can build up over time in a ship’s ballast tanks when suspended solids are pumped into the tank and have time to settle down.
To prevent this, ship Captains and Engineers try to take in ballast when the ship is floating as high as possible from the bottom and try to use high sea suctions rather than the sea suction located on the bottom of the ship.
It is not possible, however, to prevent some entrained sediments from being pumped with the water into ballast water tanks—especially in ports where the entire port has water with a high entrained sediment content.
Sometimes holes need to be cut into ship’s hull to get easy access to ballast water tanks in order to remove sediment and clean up the tanks.
Accumulation
After a time (measured in years) some ships will accumulate 100 to 200 tons of sediment depending on the trade pattern (some ships only ballast in deep-water ports and never accumulate sediments). It is proven that organisms can survive in the sediment and residual water and can be discharged on the next filling and pump-out cycle.
The quoted statement implies that all the residual mud and slop gets totally mixed with the incoming water and is, subsequently, discharged at the next pump-out cycle. This is not the case. A similar amount of residual mud remains trapped in the tank.
It is important to note that 200 metric tons amounts to about a one-inch depth of sediment and water on the inner bottoms (floor) of a Seaway-size ship. Dirty ballast tanks both increase a ship's empty weight and therefore the expensive energy required to move the ship and accelerate corrosion.
Start saving money by efficient sediment separation... Today!
Installing a Sedimentor on board can be the first step towards a complete Ballast Water Management System-Sedinox® in the future as upgrading is simple.
For who does not want to wait, just contact us for more information right now by phone, facsimile or e-mail: Contact.
We will be happy to inform you.
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