Those unfamiliar with the maritime industry often underestimate the sheer volume of work that must be accomplished during a vessel’s drydock period.
As with any major project, multiple activities have to happen at the same time, or be choreographed to ensure that resources flow seamlessly from one task to the next. Get it wrong, and time is lost waiting for materials, for contractors to arrive or for other work to be completed before the next task can be started.
Everyone is under pressure to stick to the schedule, and as this starts to drift, as it often does, that same pressure can lead to compromises in the quality of the work. It has always been like this, but now, shipyards must add the installation of ballast water management systems (BWMS) and exhaust gas scrubbers to the list of tasks to be completed – both major engineering projects in their own right.
For BWMS, the installation stakeholders ─ Owners, Manufacturers, Integration specialists and Shipyards ─ must work together to ensure that installation is successfully completed on time and in budget.
Drydock Time Constraints
“The length of time that a vessel is scheduled to spends in drydock is determined by the Owner’s plans for the vessel schedule and may have little to do with the actual amount of work to be completed in the yard,” commented Tyler Harvey, Ecochlor’s Installation Manager. “There is always pressure to complete the BWMS installation in as short a time as possible, so at Ecochlor we try to address this challenge by working with the Shipyard to facilitate the pre-fabrication of as many of the components as possible. This saves time during the installation as well as helping to ensure that the quality of the installation is maintained. A good installation is one that is likely to give the Owner a better, more reliable BWMS outcome.”
Ecochlor’s extensive retrofit experience means that the company is able to anticipate where the issues are likely to arise during installation. “For example, we know that one item that has caused us some headaches is the installation of the system deckhouse on the vessel. It’s not a difficult task in itself, but there is a sequence that has to be followed to completion and we find that the time required for fabrication and installation is often underestimated by the Shipyard. So, making sure that everyone, including the shipyard is fully informed as to the scope, scale and time requirements for each stage of the installation is one key element in ensuring a smooth dry docking and BWMS installation.” Harvey adds.
Installation Oversight
The Owner’s representative at the yard will often be the vessel Superintendent and that person will have a mountain of things that must be overseen during the docking. “Assisting the Superintendent is a critical part of the BWMS integration specialist’s responsibilities while at drydock.” John P. Dooley, President of Choice Ballast Solutions continued, “Each shipyard is unique in their approach to the material procurement and installation. As the onsite engineering firm responsible for the BWMS, we act as an interface to interpret requirements, provide clarification and ensure a smooth installation.”
Dooley adds, “The quality of the installation is determined by the oversight of the work being done. Shipyard crews are very task-oriented and do not always take the time to focus on how their work performance will affect the functionality of the BWMS equipment. Guidance provided by the integration specialists and the manufacturer’s representatives during the installation period is key to the success of the BWMS retrofit.”
A poor-quality installation can ultimately affect the performance of a BWMS. Recently, Ecochlor’s Service team identified a recurring problem with one of their systems. After troubleshooting the cause was traced back to poor quality management by the shipyard. Following system commissioning, weld debris left inside the ballast line had eventually found its way to the filter mechanism where it was causing disruption leading to malfunctions and breakdowns. The issue was addressed by the Service team and the lesson was recorded so that at future pre-installation meetings with Shipyards, Ecochlor makes a point to explain the importance of each detail of the installation so that efficient, reliable operation of the entire system is assured.
Successful Environmental Regulatory Updates During Drydock
There are many unavoidable factors that can affect the time allotted to the BWMS installation during the drydock period. Along with the equipment installation the shipyard must also undertake the required maintenance and repair tasks. This can mean that there are often access restrictions as multiple tasks may require access to the same part of the ship at the same time. This becomes an even bigger problem as more shipowners use the drydock period to install both an Exhaust Gas Scrubber and BWMS simultaneously. This adds to the complexity of the installation and the sheer volume of work that must be accomplished in a short amount of time.
John Dooley is clear about the challenge: “The installation arrangement and pipe routings for both the BWMS and the Scrubber need to be considered together. Electrical load and electrical integration are key to the success of both systems. Perhaps most important is the submittal of documentation to Class. This needs to be coordinated together because items such as trim and stability calculations must be completed as one submittal for both systems. If at all possible, it is best to use one engineering design firm for both the Scrubber and BWMS retrofit as it can streamline the effort and any potential conflicts as well as reduce costs.”
Ecochlor’s Tyler Harvey sums it up as follows “Effective communication is vital when installing these major pieces of equipment on board. These projects require a lot of overlap of shipyard resources, especially as it relates to electrical and piping. Getting it done in a timely fashion is important, but more important is getting it done properly so that the systems will operate as the Manufacturers and Owners intended.”