Bahrain-based NorthStar 3D Scanning Services has successfully delivered 3D scans of the interior of a major vessel MV Aquasalwador, prior to it being fitted with a ballast water treatment system in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations.

 

As an expert in 3D laser scanning and point cloud processing, NorthStar 3D Scanning Services has carried out similar scans for numerous vessels in the Middle East region.

 

Elaborating on the need for compliance with these new regulations, Keith Bernard, Project Manager at Northstar Technology - of which NorthStar 3D Scanning Services is a part - said approximately seven billion tonnes of ballast water is transferred from one region to another globally each year by shipping vessels that move more than 80 per cent of the world’s commodities.

 

This ballast water is used to keep the ship's trim, draught, stability and structural loading within safe limits when cargo and other liquids are distributed as part of normal ship operations.

 

"At any one time, ballast water can naturally contain an estimated 7,000 different species of organisms comprising plankton (microscopic plants and animals), bacteria and viruses.  While the vast majority of marine species carried in ballast water do not survive the ship’s journey, those that do survive are inadvertently introduced into new ecosystems through the discharge of ballast water," he stated. 

 

"Once discharged, some species can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions and may not have natural predators. In such cases, these organisms can become invasive species causing a change in the ecosystem balance. Once such changes have occurred, the effects are irreversible," he explained.

 

To combat this ever-growing threat to our planet, the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention which was ratified in September 2017, has made it mandatory for all ships to fit a ballast water treatment system," said Bernard.

 

In accordance with the IMO Regulation D2, which comes into effect on September 8, 2024, all ships are expected to undertake Ballast Water Exchange and instal an approved ballast water treatment system, he added.

 

In order to carry out these necessary modifications, it is essential to have complete engineering drawings of the vessel and that is where NorthStar 3D Scanning comes into the picture. 

 

The company provides its vital services by providing 3D scans of the interior of the vessel in order to get the detailed measurements used in preparing the drawings.-TradeArabia News Service