Wilhelmsen offers risk reduction methods to avoid stringent MARPOL fines
NORWAY's Wilhelmsen Ships Services (WSS) warns shipowners and shipmanagers that they must pay as much attention to the products used to clean their cargo holds as the holds themselves because of new regulations.
"The penalties for non-compliance are stringent and claiming a lack of knowledge is no excuse," the WSS statement warned.
As a provider of products and services to shipping, WSS urges firms to heed details included in the revised United Nations MARPOL (Marine Pollution) Annex V Resolution, which came into force on January 1.
A key element is the Annex 'garbage regulation" stipulating that discharge of garbage into the sea is prohibited, unless specifically allowed, and that every discharge must be noted in a vessel's Garbage Record Book.
As part of this, cleaning agents, additives and residue contained in cargo holds should not be discharged to sea, unless it can be proven these substances are classified as not harmful to the marine environment (HME).
"Shipowners must ensure compliance, and must have access to the necessary products and knowledge to do so," said WSS cleaning marketing manager Jan Fredrik Bjorge.
"Operators need to be aware of how the combination of their cargoes and the products used to clean cargo holds impacts upon their ability to be discharged to sea," he said.
"Cargo residues and the products used to clean cargo holds must be declared as HME, otherwise the wash water has to be discharged at a port reception facility," he said.
The regulation states that the burden of proof that cleaning agents and additives are not HME lies with the vessel, and that they are under obligation to provide evidence to Port State Control authorities upon inspection.
For cargoes that are classified as harmful to the marine environment, WSS said that by reducing the amount of wash water the cost of shore disposal can also be cut.
Mr Bjorge recommends using a temporary hold barrier in this respect, such as WSS' Slip Coat Plus.
"This prevents the adhesion of the cargo to the hold's surface, resulting in a diminished need for cleaning chemicals and water," he said.
WSS is part of Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, a Wilh Wilhelmsen group company. It has the world's largest maritime services network, with 4,500 marine professionals servicing 2,200 ports in 125 countries.
NORWAY's Wilhelmsen Ships Services (WSS) warns shipowners and shipmanagers that they must pay as much attention to the products used to clean their cargo holds as the holds themselves because of new regulations.
"The penalties for non-compliance are stringent and claiming a lack of knowledge is no excuse," the WSS statement warned.
As a provider of products and services to shipping, WSS urges firms to heed details included in the revised United Nations MARPOL (Marine Pollution) Annex V Resolution, which came into force on January 1.
A key element is the Annex 'garbage regulation" stipulating that discharge of garbage into the sea is prohibited, unless specifically allowed, and that every discharge must be noted in a vessel's Garbage Record Book.
As part of this, cleaning agents, additives and residue contained in cargo holds should not be discharged to sea, unless it can be proven these substances are classified as not harmful to the marine environment (HME).
"Shipowners must ensure compliance, and must have access to the necessary products and knowledge to do so," said WSS cleaning marketing manager Jan Fredrik Bjorge.
"Operators need to be aware of how the combination of their cargoes and the products used to clean cargo holds impacts upon their ability to be discharged to sea," he said.
"Cargo residues and the products used to clean cargo holds must be declared as HME, otherwise the wash water has to be discharged at a port reception facility," he said.
The regulation states that the burden of proof that cleaning agents and additives are not HME lies with the vessel, and that they are under obligation to provide evidence to Port State Control authorities upon inspection.
For cargoes that are classified as harmful to the marine environment, WSS said that by reducing the amount of wash water the cost of shore disposal can also be cut.
Mr Bjorge recommends using a temporary hold barrier in this respect, such as WSS' Slip Coat Plus.
"This prevents the adhesion of the cargo to the hold's surface, resulting in a diminished need for cleaning chemicals and water," he said.
WSS is part of Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, a Wilh Wilhelmsen group company. It has the world's largest maritime services network, with 4,500 marine professionals servicing 2,200 ports in 125 countries.