John Kerr joins panel for Ballast Water Management Convention: Early learnings and final preparations webinar

V.Group Global Head of Technical, John Kerr, joined Lloyd’s List webinar panel, sponsored by Hyde Marine, to discuss the technical considerations and operational implications of one of the most anticipated regulations in recent memory.

The introduction of the new Ballast Water Management Convention regulation has finally come into effect and, as with every new regulation, there is a lot to consider. The expert panellists discussed the quality of available ballast water treatment systems and the significance of training and proper selection of systems need to be seriously considered.

The panellists alongside John Kerr include Mark Riggio, Senior Market Manager, Hyde Marine, Marcie Merksamer, Secretary General, BEMA, Ross Kanzleiter, Senior Director, technical programs, Carnival Cruise Line and Liliana Castro, Senior Engineer of environmental protection at DNV GL-Maritime.

You can listen to the webinar again here

John discussed V.Group’s approach to implementing the convention for a large, diverse fleet, starting with the need to select an appropriate solution, based on a vessel’s type and its trade. For instance, for most cruise vessels, ballast capacity is highly limited by space requirements; tankers have a much higher ballast flow rate than other vessels. Similarly, the question of whether to fit a treatment system that meets USCG standards is important. These systems use considerably more energy than others, affecting opex – but can significantly impact that value of a vessel when it is resold.

All of these factors must be taken into account when selecting a solution. In addition, training is key. While time and experience has reduced the amount of work needed from crew to operate ballast treatment systems, it’s still essential that managers realise the importance of crew readiness.

John commented, “A critical component of regulation preparation involves providing a comprehensive training process for vessel crews. V.Ships provides full training packages from more generic courses to very specific regimes depending on the vessel and system so the crew are prepared for any eventuality. As an organisation, we value the people and providing them with the knowledge and skills which will make this regulation far manageable as ship managers and for owners.”