DNV GL has informed customers about the upcoming BWM Convention in various manners. Now, with less than 6 months to go, we have identified a number of ships that still do not have an approved BWMP on board. Here is some information to help you on your way.
Relevant for suppliers, ship owners and managers.
All ships designed to carry ballast water and engaged in international voyages need to comply with the BWM Convention no later than the entry-into-force date of 8 September 2017. Compliance can be achieved by the D-1 standard (ballast water exchange), by the D-2 standard (ballast water treatment) or under certain conditions by a waiver from port states and/or flag states.
In our previous Technical and Regulatory news on ballast water, we stressed the importance of the following actions:
- Prepare and submit your BWMP.
- Order and perform the initial survey (in due time before 8 September 2017).
- Make sure mandatory documentation (BWMP and International BWM Certificate or Statement/Certificate of Compliance) is in place before 8 September 2017.
Compliant ships (≥400 GT) shall hold a BWM certificate that has been issued after an approved BWMP has been placed on board and an initial BWM survey has been carried out. Ships with less than 400 GT will only need an approved BWMP on board.
To help you establish a BWMP more quickly, we have developed the BWMP Generator which easily generates your ship’s BWMP. Available from My DNV GL, this web app helps make sure you are compliant with the least amount of effort. Simply enter the pumps available, ballast water tanks and sampling procedures, then upload the relevant plans and drawings. Once you have finished the BWMP for one vessel, you can copy the data to another (sister) vessel. The BWMP is, of course, submitted electronically.
Recommendations
All ships flying the flag of a party to the convention, or intending to sail in waters under the jurisdiction of such a party, shall proceed as follows:
- Submit a BWMP for approval either to the flag state administration or the classification society the vessel is classed with, if authorized by the flag state. Save time and money: Use our BWMP Generator for this work.
- Supply the ship with the BWMP.
- Order a BWM initial survey (for ships ≥400 GT).
To avoid unnecessary lead times in providing your ship(s) with BWM certificate(s), DNV GL would like to remind owners/managers to submit the BWMPs for approval well in advance to the entry-into-force date, as the plan is the prerequisite for the required initial survey and issuance of the BWM certificate.
References
- For DNV GL class customers only: our BWMP Generator
- Further and more detailed information: our BWM web pages
- IMO on the BWM Convention
Contact
- For customers: DATE – Direct Access to Technical Experts via My DNV GL
- Otherwise: Use our office locator to find the nearest DNV GL maritime office