Informal workshop on discharges of harmful substances from tank washing on chemical tankers

Following discussions at the HELCOM IC MARITIME 2-2023 meeting last fall, we are thrilled to announce an upcoming workshop focused on reducing the discharges of residues of noxious liquid substances into the Baltic Sea from cargo tank washing on chemical tankers. This workshop is directly linked to the implementation of HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) action S16 and MARPOL Annex II concerning the categorization and regulation of noxious liquid substances.

The workshop will take place on 16-17 May 2024 as an hybrid event and it is organized the John Nurminen Foundation (JNF) and the Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), and is proudly co-hosted by Latvia, Sweden, and Finland.

The primary goals of the workshop are:
• to initiate a comprehensive dialogue on the effective implementation of BSAP action S16 across the Baltic Sea region, and
• to find a common view on how to make the HELCOM state specific risk assessment.
• We also wish to encourage stakeholders to implement actions to decrease the discharges.

Registrations
Participants are kindly requested to register to the workshop not later than by 6 May 2024.
The link to the registration form is available in the blue button on the left side of this event page.

The online participation link for the event will be sent to the participants closer to the event.

Hotel booking
For participants staying in Riga, you can book a hotel room from Bellevue Park Hotel Riga for a discount price (57 euros/night) by emailing reservations@bellevue.lv and mentioning the code "CCB24".

Provisional Agenda
The PDF of the agenda is available in the blue button on the left side of this event page.

Thursday, 16 May 2024 (12-16 CET) - Session 1

• Welcome words and introduction
• Presentations, introductions to topics
- HELCOM: Threats of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea
- IMO: Current regulation regarding tank washing on the Baltic Sea
- Recent research: Tank cleaning and its impact on the marine environment
- Swedish Coastguard: Observations on tank washing discharges in the Baltic Sea
• An example on how to decrease discharges in cooperation with chemical industry
• Evening program: dinner + networking

Friday, 17 May 2024 (9-12 CET) - Session 2

• Short presentations from HELCOM states about their current situations on Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) action S16
• Workshop & discussion: The objective is to advance the implementation of BSAP action S16 by collaboratively assessing the current situation, considering the need for additional studies and risk assessments, and by considering the next steps for taking relevant action with a view to limiting the harmful effects of discharges from tank washing on chemical tankers. Let's exchange successful practices and collectively set things in motion.

Documents related to the workshop
- Presentation of the Chemical Tanker Project by John Nurminen Foundation and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom.
- Document submitted to HELCOM IC MARITIME 2-2023.
- Document submitted by CCB and JNF to HELCOM IC MARITIME 2-2023.


Organised by
Finland, Sweden and Latvia in cooperation with the John Nurminen Foundation and Coalition Clean Baltic.

CCB's participation in the event was supported by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them