University of Michigan researchers are investigating a radical new design for cargo ships that would eliminate ballast tanks, the water-filled compartments that enable non-native creatures to sneak into the Great Lakes from overseas.
Read the full article here.
Showing posts with label ballast water management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ballast water management. Show all posts
1/22/08
K-Line introduces "green" vessel
On January 17, 2008, a new ship making its maiden voyage arrived at the Port of Hueneme. The car carrier Georgia Highway was equipped with features such as a triple hull to prevent oil spills, as well as cement ballast and silicone paint, both used to reduce the possibility of introducing invasive species to a port. The carrier is one of three of its size with such features operated by Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., or K-Line. The company also has three smaller ships built with environmentally friendly features, including main engines that are electronically controlled to cut emissions.
The permanent cement ballast reduces the amount of water ballast the ship takes on to give it the proper weight balance. Capt. Yoshizawa said Georgia Highway also has a new type of paint on its hull that keeps organisms in the port, such as kelp or algae, from clinging to the ship. That means less drag on the ship, but it also reduces the possibility that the ship will transport something from one port to another.
The ships aren't the only ones adding green features. The Port of Hueneme has a company on site that exclusively sells biodiesel to the tugboats, oil platform boats and others.
For the full story, click here.
The permanent cement ballast reduces the amount of water ballast the ship takes on to give it the proper weight balance. Capt. Yoshizawa said Georgia Highway also has a new type of paint on its hull that keeps organisms in the port, such as kelp or algae, from clinging to the ship. That means less drag on the ship, but it also reduces the possibility that the ship will transport something from one port to another.
The ships aren't the only ones adding green features. The Port of Hueneme has a company on site that exclusively sells biodiesel to the tugboats, oil platform boats and others.
For the full story, click here.
9/3/07
Identifying, Verifying and Establishing Options for Best Management Practices for No Ballast on Board Vessels Final Report released
Access the report here; a summary of report content is as follows:
A “Code of Best Practices for Ballast Water Management” was adopted by the Shipping Federation of Canada and the (U.S.) Lake Carrier's Association in 2000. In 2002 the St. Lawrence Seaway corporations adopted rules making compliance with the Code mandatory for entry into the Seaway. The Code promotes the maintenance of relatively clean ballast tanks through a program of regular inspection and cleaning, combined with a precautionary approach to ballasting with the objective of limiting or avoiding the uptake of ballast under specified conditions. However, there has never been an assessment of the extent to which commercially operating ships can realistically apply these practices or the effectiveness of the stated practices for reducing the risk of new species introductions.
A group of researchers therefore conducted a scientific study to 1) test and evaluate the effectiveness of the current Best Management Practices (BMPs), focusing on a subset that are specifically applicable to ballast management for reduction of invasion risk associated with empty ballast tanks on ships entering the Great Lakes with no pumpable ballast-on-board (NOBOB), and 2) test a set of enhancements to the existing BMPs, focusing on flushing of tanks with deep ocean water, either when the ship is in NOBOB condition or as an intermediate step in deep ocean exchange. In particular, they wanted to examine whether BMPs are effective at reducing the abundance and viability of live organisms and resting stages.
They concluded that current rules for minimizing AIS entry into the Great Lakes are not adequate; the study recommends that ships be required to rinse their ballast tanks with deep-ocean water before entering the St. Lawrence Seaway. The practice, referred to as "salt water flushing" is an inexpensive alternative that would likely help while other approaches for sanitizing ballast water, such as chemicals, heat, ozone, and UV radiation are being explored.
A “Code of Best Practices for Ballast Water Management” was adopted by the Shipping Federation of Canada and the (U.S.) Lake Carrier's Association in 2000. In 2002 the St. Lawrence Seaway corporations adopted rules making compliance with the Code mandatory for entry into the Seaway. The Code promotes the maintenance of relatively clean ballast tanks through a program of regular inspection and cleaning, combined with a precautionary approach to ballasting with the objective of limiting or avoiding the uptake of ballast under specified conditions. However, there has never been an assessment of the extent to which commercially operating ships can realistically apply these practices or the effectiveness of the stated practices for reducing the risk of new species introductions.
A group of researchers therefore conducted a scientific study to 1) test and evaluate the effectiveness of the current Best Management Practices (BMPs), focusing on a subset that are specifically applicable to ballast management for reduction of invasion risk associated with empty ballast tanks on ships entering the Great Lakes with no pumpable ballast-on-board (NOBOB), and 2) test a set of enhancements to the existing BMPs, focusing on flushing of tanks with deep ocean water, either when the ship is in NOBOB condition or as an intermediate step in deep ocean exchange. In particular, they wanted to examine whether BMPs are effective at reducing the abundance and viability of live organisms and resting stages.
They concluded that current rules for minimizing AIS entry into the Great Lakes are not adequate; the study recommends that ships be required to rinse their ballast tanks with deep-ocean water before entering the St. Lawrence Seaway. The practice, referred to as "salt water flushing" is an inexpensive alternative that would likely help while other approaches for sanitizing ballast water, such as chemicals, heat, ozone, and UV radiation are being explored.
8/29/07
Congressional Summary on Ballast Water Management released
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) issued a report on ballast water management to combat invasive species. It provides background on various approaches to ballast water management and reviews current ballast water management laws and programs. Click here for the report.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
