Delegates from around the world will be in London from Thursday 23 – Friday 24 February 2012 for the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology’s (IMarEST) Ballast Water Technology Conference, with its theme ‘Impending convention requirements and challenges’. The conference is timed to ensure the highest possible attendance of those coming to London for IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee 63rd session (MEPC 63) the following week – a step that will provide maximum opportunity to network with key ballast water decision makers.

February’s conference builds on the highly successful 2nd IMO-GloBallast and IMarEST Shipbuilders’ Forum on the Ballast Water Management Convention held on 25 October in Istanbul (the first Forum in the series was held in Singapore in November 2010). It has already attracted delegates from the UK, Finland, Greece and Spain, with representatives of many more countries expected to register to be at the America Square Conference Centre, London EC3.

Keynote addresses will be given by Dr David Wright, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland and President, Environmental Research Services on ‘The challenge of achieving compliance – is it physically possible’; and Chris Wiley, Chairman, IMO Ballast Water Working Group on ‘Overview of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention’. Sessions over the two days look at ratification and regional initiatives; compliance and monitoring; systems and solutions; and owners and operators.

Co-Chairmen of the IMarEST Ballast Water Expert Group (BWEG), Tom Mackey, Senior Consultant, Hyde Marine Inc and Dr David Wright, write on the IMarEST website: “Although a minority of shipowners regard the Ballast Water Management Convention as completely impractical, many view its ratification as a foregone conclusion. If that is the case, they will need to avoid down time and loss of earnings when it enters into force.

“Can shipowners meet requirements of the Convention in time? Even while yards are gearing up to a surge in retrofit work and equipment manufacturers are busy setting up installation businesses and partners, it remains unclear if a bottleneck can be avoided.

“The focus of the conference will be to highlight the challenges facing shipowners and managers and the technical solutions available, offering both practical and critical guidance as to the most appropriate systems to adopt to ensure their regulatory compliance – offered by the experts and marine engineers most qualified to advise shipping.”

The conference is being held under the auspices of the IMarEST BWEG, the membership of which encompasses all industry stakeholders, including representatives of the IMO-GloBallast, the Global Industry Alliance and the North Sea BW Opportunity Project. The conference is sponsored by Videotel, Hyde Marine, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Coldharbour Marine, Aura Marine, Alfa Laval and ERMA First; and supported by SSA, InterManager, and the Society of Maritime Industries.

Tags: IMarEST