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The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting was held remotely from June 6 to 10, 2022. MEPC 78 finalized guidelines for the EEXI, CII, and SEEMP. With these guidelines in place, the EEXI, CII, and SEEMP are ready for implementation.

The EEXI technical file must be approved before the first annual, intermediate, or renewal IAPP survey or the initial IEE survey on or after January 1, 2023. The SEEMP Part III must be approved and implemented by January 1, 2023. The first CII report based on 2023 data is due no later than March 31, 2024.

Don't delay. There is now only a short time left to achieve compliance. Albion Marine Solutions offers a comprehensive fleet solution-based package for improving vessel performance in relation to EEXI compliance requirements. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Other major highlights of the MEPC 78 meeting include:

• Consideration of revisions to the IMO GHG Strategy, as well as future technical and market-based measures
• The approval of a new sulphur emission control area (SECA) is expected to take effect on July 1, 2025, subject to final approval at MEPC 79 in December 2022.
• Adoption of amendments to MARPOL Annex I and the IBC Code on watertight doors and Adoption of amendments to MARPOL Annex II on the Hazard Evaluation Procedure for chemical tanker products  
• Extension of the ballast water experience building phase

On June 1, 2022, IMO Resolution MEPC.325(75) to the BWM #Convention entered into force. Following the successful installation of any ballast water treatment system, ballast water commissioning testing in accordance with BWM.2/Circ.70, rev1 must be performed. 

The major revision points are specified below.

• Regardless of organism concentrations in the water, should use local ambient water.
• Using indicative analysis methods, representative samples should be analyzed for the two size classes of organisms, namely ≥ 50 μm and ≥ 10 μm to < 50 μm, as specified in the D-2 standard. Microbes analysis is not required. 
• Accordingly, ship operators are advised to observe the requirement for a commissioning test at any BWTS commissioning survey completed on or after June 1, 2022. The test requires ballast water samples at the discharge line after treatment by the new BWTS and analysis of the samples by accepted laboratories.  

Hence, mandatory commissioning testing/sampling shall be considered in your contract with your BWTS manufacturer for commissioning after June 1, 2022. Albion Marine Solutions is North America's only ABS-approved service provider for biological Ballast Water Treatment systems can assist with IMO-D2 and the US EPA VGP testing services at worldwide locations. For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On May 18th, the world celebrated the first International Day for Women in Maritime to provide a platform to highlight and celebrate the achievements of women in maritime while also identifying areas for improvement in gender balance. A virtual IMO Symposium on "Training-Visibility-Recognition: Supporting a Barrier-Free Working Environment for Women in Maritime" was heard by nine panellists, including seven women and two male allies. They discussed what type of training supports a barrier-free working environment for women in maritime, how to increase women's visibility in the workplace/environment, and how to recognize women's contributions to maritime in the workplace. On YouTube, you can watch the Virtual Symposium: International Day for Women in Maritime.

Mari-Tech 2022 edition was hosted by CIMarE’s Great Lakes Branch overlooking Niagara Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Mari-Tech was created by the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering (CIMarE) in 1976 and is the premier event for the marine engineering community in Canada.

Albion Marine Solutions Commercial Director Mr. Rumi Mistry and Business Development Manager Mr. Jayson Stansfield are shown exhibiting at booth no. 6, showcasing our capabilities as North America's leading Marine Engineering company specializing in cutting-edge marine turnkey solutions.

At the Mari-tech event, the Albion Marine team meets with their valued clients and business partners. Furthermore, connected with hundreds of leading professionals worldwide, including industry leaders, private sector senior management, government policy makers (federal, territorial, and provincial), innovators, consulting firms, and the next generation of marine engineers. For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.