The 12th session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 12), held in London from January 27 to 31 January 2025, finalized guidance on in-water cleaning of ships’ biofouling.The
The 12th session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 12), held in London from January 27 to 31 January 2025, finalized guidance on in-water cleaning of ships’ biofouling.
The guidance is expected to be approved by MEPC 83 in April, says DNV. The guidance includes voluntary procedures related to planning, documentation, reporting and inspection when conducting in-water cleaning. It also includes recommended practices for those jurisdictions that wish to approve cleaning operations or those that want to test and certify in-water cleaning systems (IWCS).
PPR 12 agreed that further work is needed to develop additional guidance on compatibility testing between the coating and IWCS, on methods to assess the minimum performance standard for IWCS and on how to conduct inspections. More topics may be relevant, as MEPC 83 will consider a new output on the possible development of mandatory requirements for biofouling management.
DNV reports that other meeting highlights included:
• Finalized a circular on guidance on in-water cleaning of ships’ biofouling
• Revised guidelines on certification of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems
• Agreed on an interim circular allowing bunker ships certified as oil tankers to carry biofuel blends containing up to 30% biofuel
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