Deballasting problems have recently been on the increase in the Ukraine, especially in Crimean ports. The State Inspection for Protection of the Black Sea (SIPBS) has been trying to impose greater fines on ships (sometimes rather successfully) in respect of segregated ballast discharge. Fines have been in the region of US$ 40,000 – 60, 000.
DIAS Co. Ltd offer the following practical recommendations for masters with the aim of obtaining cleaner ballast samples and reducing the fines accordingly.
1. The vessel's representative should be present on board the ship during sampling and ensure that SIPBS takes samples not from the ballast pipe flange in the engine room, (which can be rusty or soiled and which can result in excessive oil product content in the ballast water sample) but from the opened manhole of the ballast tank. In addition, the sample should be taken not from the surface, which may bear some oil film patches, nor from the tank bottom, where some dirt and suspended matters are likely to accumulate, but from the middle level of the tank where the water is likely to be cleanest.
2. All ship’s ballast tanks should be well-maintained; they should be painted and there should be no rust or loose scale inside. Otherwise, the analysis may show that the content of iron in ballast water exceeds the permissible limit. However, practice shows that freshly painted ballast tanks can also create problems; if the paint is not of a high quality, some paint particles/components may be found into the ballast water and analysis can show excessive oil product content.
3. It is a compulsory requirement of SIPBS that the vessel must perform ballast water exchange in the Black Sea before entering port. The master/crew should try to take ballast in places where the water is visually clean and avoid places with accumulations of seaweed as, otherwise, extra suspended matter will be found in the ballast sample. It is recommendable to exchange ballast several times and, generally, to refrain from having more ballast onboard than is necessary from the point of view of the vessel’s stability calculations.
With thanks to DIAS Co. Ltd, Ukraine, for supplying this information.
For further information on the Ukrainian Ballast Water Management requirements, click here.
