Ballast Water Management

According to the BWM Convention, vessels are required to have compliant ballast water treatment systems on board to undertake specific management and recording, while ports are required to prepare policies and procedures to ensure compliance.  Treatment does not eliminate all organisms; therefore ports and states are required to prove their releases aren’t an environmental risk.  Our work on the implementation of the BWM Convention has been pioneering in helping ports prepare for International Maritime Organization (IMO) and European requirements.  Our experts support clients by providing in-depth knowledge of the BWM Convention, and the scientific rigour of our work has earned recognition from stakeholders and statutory consultees.  
 
At Intertek we believe in reducing cost and securing compliance through our Total Quality Assurance approach.  Therefore we recognise that in developing ballast water management policies and procedures, it is essential to sustain a high level of environmental protection whilst also facilitating commercially important shipping activities.  In seeking to implement the requirements and standards set out by the BWM Convention, we help ensure best practices are followed to support prevention of harmful aquatic organisms entering the environment.
 
Intertek has experience in the development of IMO compliant BWM policies and ensures that our clients’ policies are compliant with all relevant European and National legislation (including EU Habitats Directive and Merchant Shipping Regulations).  Furthermore, our experts provide reliable advice based on expert testing and treatment solutions for issues such as non-native species introduction and defending protected sites.  
 
BWM Policies and Procedures
Intertek is the first UK-based company to develop policies and procedures that assess the impact of the release of ballast water within the marine environment.
 
We are experts in all legislation relating to BWM and have assisted with the development of IMO compliant BWM policies.
 
We help clients comply with the BWM Convention by assisting with the following:

• Policy development – including exemptions
• Environmental assessment
• Consultation and stakeholder liaison
• Monitoring and analysis – including ballast water sampling
• Advice and guidance

Ballast Water Sampling
We can provide ballast water sampling and analysis services to ports worldwide to test compliance with the BWM Convention standards.  Our global network of laboratories and expert staff allow us to rapidly respond to your BWM needs.
 
Modelling Plus⁺
Our pioneering Modelling Plus⁺ methodology quantifies the level of environmental risk from ballast water.  This allows us to ensure that you are compliant with regulations and places the impacts in the context of existing operations and activities.  Modelling Plus+ enables relevant bodies to make informed decisions based on quantified scientific evidence relating to your operation.  Modelling Plus⁺ integrates seamlessly into the required environmental assessments, such as strategic environmental assessment and appropriate assessment.
 
Why partner with Intertek for your ballast water management needs?

• Expert knowledge of IMO BWM Convention and EU legislation
• Development of port specific BWM policy
• Running of stakeholder consultation process
• Compliance is quantified beyond reasonable scientific doubt