Ask an Expert: BWM - Compliance Monitoring with Dr Guillaume Drillet from SGS

Video not working? This video is also at the UK Club Vimeo page. 

Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement of the Ballast Water Management Convention

We are pleased to offer the industry our third and final ask an expert video in our ballast water series. In this episode the topic of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement of the Ballast Water Management Convention is examined with Dr Guillaume Drillet from SGS.

It seems logical that after completing a BWMS retrofit, the vessel’s entire ballast water management system (BWMS) with the integrated BWMS should be tested as an entire “system” to validate that the BWMS is operating as it is intended to and that the vessel can pass Port State Control inspections. Commissioning tests will soon become mandatory, and currently, some flag states are already enforcing this requirement. This is particularly important during the Experience Building Phase (EBP). Now, we are in the EBP, which is likely to conclude in 2022. During the EBP, there is some flexibility for vessels due to the non-penalization provisions implemented for the EBP. However, after the EBP ends, those non-penalization provisions will no longer be available. Therefore, the entire industry must learn how to ensure compliance after commissioning and use BWMS properly to pass PSC inspections.

Topics discussed

In this 3rd episode of our 3 part Ask and expert series, Dr Guillaume Drillet from SGS talks about:

• The risk of non-compliance and the developing space of compliance monitoring
• The different levels of compliance monitoring
• Ship operator, flag state and port state responsibilities with respect to compliance monitoring.

Guillaume draws from his life experiences in building teams and coordinating projects related to marine ecosystems to support governments and industries in defining and meeting their environmental targets. He is the Asia-Pacific Manager for the Global Marine Services at SGS (Industries and Environments). His portfolio includes environmental compliance monitoring of discharges incidental to shipping and monitoring services to support optimal living conditions on board ships (indoor air, water, noise, Hygiene etc.).

Guillaume is the chair of the Global TestNet since 2016 and occasionally acts as a consultant to IMO projects dealing with ballast water and AFS conventions.

His technical expertise, combined with the understanding of regulations, led to his involvement in revising the G7 and G8 Guidelines of the BWM Convention. Guillaume holds a PhD in life sciences from Denmark and received the Young Elite Scientist Award from the Danish Ministry of Independent Research in 2011.

A Live Webinar

A live webinar on the topic will follow on 5th August 2021 to answer questions from the industry stakeholders. 

Ask your questions and register for UK P&I CLUB LIVE WEBINAR (Series 17) : Ballast Water Management Outlook

For more information please get in touch with the UK Club Loss Prevention team who will be pleased to assist you.