MEPC 74 (May 2019) approved amendments to regulation E-1 of the BWM Convention. This amendment requires biological efficacy testing when commissioning a BWTS on board a vessel. This amendment will come into effect at the earliest in October 2021, but the MEPC has encouraged flag administrations to start with commissioning testing as soon as possible. The first administrations explicitly requiring sampling and biological testing at commissioning survey are Singapore, Greece, Cyprus, Australia, Tuvalu, Canada, Croatia. While the flags of Liberia, Panama and Bahamas recommend it.

If this test confirms that the treated ballast water meets the discharge standard D-2, the DNV GL surveyor will be able to issue a full term International Ballast Water Management Certificate.

Analysis methods, including indicative methods, listed in the guidance on ballast water sampling and analysis (BWM.2/Circ.42/Rev.1) may be applied. A test facility may use a portable test kit, given that the reliability and accuracy of this test kit has been validated.

The use of a test kit by the vessel’s crew or the manufacturer of the BWTS is not an acceptable alternative to biological efficacy testing performed by an independent test facility.

D-2 Discharge Standard

Microorganism category	Control Limit
Viable organisms which are greater than or equal to 50 micrometres in minimum dimension. (size ≥ 50 μm)	Less than 10 Viable per cubic meter (m3)
Viable organisms which are between 10 micrometres and 50 micrometres in minimum dimension. (10 μm < size < 50 μm)	Less than 10 Viable per millilitres (ml)
Toxicogenic Vibrio cholerae	1 CFU per 100 millilitres (ml)
Escherichia coli	250 CFU per 100 millilitres (ml)
Intestinal Enterococci	100 CFU per 100 millilitres (ml)

Tribocare employs experienced scientific personnel for performing commissioning testing. We have developed protocols according to IMO requirements as mentioned at BWM.2/Circ.42/Rev.1 “Guidance on ballast water sampling and analysis for trial use in accordance with the BWM Convention and Guidelines (G2)”, which have been accepted by the classification societies Specifically, we perform sampling and analysis of Ballast Water Treatment Systems, Inlet and Discharge Samples, to determine compliance of the effluent with the D2-Discharge Standard. Below you can find in brief the most important points of the commissioning testing procedure.

Sampling

Sampling at discharge is performed from the G2 isokinetic sampling point in the overboard discharge line. Specifically sampling of organisms ≥50 μm a plankton net is fit at the outlet of the G2 sampling point to concentrate the organims, while for sampling of organisms 10-50 μm and bacteria the continuous drip approach is applied. The flow is regulated during the whole process using flowmeter in order to achieve rates for isokinetic sampling according to system’s discharge rate.
For inlet water testing samples collected either from the inlet sampling point of the system. If the system has not an inlet sampling point, harbor water in the area close to the vessel is collected as inlet water during ballasting.

Analysis

The analysis for D-2 compliance is performed on board using the ATP method.
If the results of indicative analysis show no compliance with the D-2 standard limits we apply detailed analysis using microscopy for direct determination of microorganisms.
Apart from the required biological analysis for compliance with the D-2 standard we also offer physicochemical analysis of the effluent (TRO, Chlorine Dioxide levels) and checking the system design limitations of the systems (salinity, temperature,UV transmittance) in order to check the system’s physicochemical performance.
Samples preservation and storage for transport is performed in accordance with the requirements of each method and in compliance with IMO’s regulations.
Sampling and analysis is performed in accordance to BWMS manufacturer’s technical details regarding the required time (holding time) for ballast water treatment.