The EPA's Science Advisory Board concluded that the potential advantages of reception facilities over shipboard treatment systems include fewer reception facilities than shipboard systems would be needed, smaller total treatment capacity would be needed and reception facilities would be subject to fewer physical constraints. They could therefore use more effective technologies such as those used in water treatment.

For the moment, port solutions appear to be no more than a dream, not least because port reception facilities are unavailable and because additional layup time would be required, says Dino Cervetto, head of technical services at classification society RINA.

For Birgir Nilsen, vice president of business development at treatment system supplier Optimarin, the scope also seems limited even though the company believes around 95 percent of ships have yet to have a system ordered for them: "If one ship trades between two ports and the port has relatively low traffic, a facility could be set up to receive and treat the ballast water. Otherwise, I think it is a dream. Logistics would be a nightmare," he says.

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Keywords: transportation management, EPA regulation of ocean vessel water discharge, ballast water treatment