KR Webzine Vol.148

The BWM Convention (International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004. hereinafter BWM Convention), formally adopted in 2004, is the international measures to prevent and minimize the risk from spread of harmful and invasive aquatic species transferred from ships ballast water and entered into force on 8 September 2017.

MEPC 74 (May, 2019) approved the draft amendments to regulation E-1.1 and E-1.5 of the BWM Convention which require the installed ballast water management system (BWMS) to undergo a commissioning test during the initial or additional ballast water management survey, and the purpose of this test is to verify that the mechanical, physical, chemical and biological processes of the installed BWMS are working properly, taking into account guidelines developed by the Organization.

In this regard, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (hereinafter MPA) published MPA Shipping Circular No.9 stipulating that the commissioning test shall be carried out for BWMS that is installed on board ships of 400 GT and above after 8 September 2019.

This information is relating to the Singapore flag instruction for mandatory commissioning test for Singapore flagged ships prior to entry into force of the amendments to regulation E-1.1 and 1.5 of the BWM Convention, and thus we would like to provide our customers with the requirements and reference on the instruction above, ship owners with Singapore flagged ships, builders, test facilities for ballast water and all related stakeholders are kindly invited to pay full attention to implement this instruction accordingly.