Chemical Carriers' Cargo Tank Cleanliness

Due to the very nature of incompatibility between the large number and variety of chemical products, a ship may carry for transport, it is highly likely that any semblance of even small amounts of cargo residue between consecutive cargos will produce undesirable effects.

The direct impact of this is on the properties of the chemical cargo, and the risk of contamination leading to rejection of cargo and potential of claims especially for the ship owner / manager.

It is thus imperative that Cargo tank cleaning and fitness to load inspections are given its due importance.

In the current scenario, there exist numerous standards to which a cargo tank may be benchmarked for fitness. The associated cleaning process / procedure required to achieve the standard - namely the INTERTANKO Cargo Tank Cleanliness standards for Chemical Tankers. Often references are also made to independent tank cleaning guides such as Dr. Verwey's Tank Cleaning Guide & Miracle Tank Cleaning Guide and Cargo Database, published by ChemServe GmbH.

While adherence to cleaning procedures is one aspect, it is imperative that independent fitness inspections be conducted, as this verification process has numerous benefits.

Preserving the quality of the chemical cargo expected to be transported is believed to be a shared interest of numerous parties, including the charterers, cargo insurers and surveyors. However, the vessel and the ship owner are considered responsible for cleaning the ship's cargo tanks and consequently often held liable when tanks are not "clean or fit to load".

It also comes as no surprise that over a period, tank fitness standards expected by charterers and shippers have become stricter and combined with the increased ability of the shippers / cargo owners to find and fail tanks even in case of presence of minute traces of contaminants, puts the burden of redundancy and contract cancellation on the vessel owners.

Thus, it is prudent that owners engage qualified surveyors on their behalf for fitness inspections, like Constellation Marine Services who are available 24x7 to expedite these evolutions.

Over the years, most (if not all) cargo contracts hold the ship owner liable for any on-board contamination of cargo. Most cargo insurers generally seek proof of fitness / cleanliness in spite of (most) charterers providing prior cargo loading instructions. Thus, independent tank fitness inspections, and especially prior to presenting the vessels tanks as "ready" are considered an important aspect.

The benefits of conducting independent inspections for tank fitness to industry standards are many folds, including:

Cost benefits in avoiding over cleaning - to generally satisfy unrealistic standards of cleanliness.

Reduce vessel rejections by cargo owner surveyors especially after Notice of Readiness has been tendered.

Reduce the number of in-tank inspections in ports, especially those that are prone to congestion and quick turnaround.

Tank inspections are arduous evolutions, however, the aspect of safety cannot be undermined, as the activity necessitates tank entry, and thus introduces a higher risk for the surveyor and the accompanying seafarer.

Also, the time taken for in tank inspections and where applicable, evaluation for laboratory tests results in negative impact such as delays and disruption to port rotations.

This is where Constellation Marine Services can assist stakeholders in conducting tank fitness surveys efficiently and safely. We have carefully vetted and experienced partners for laboratory analysis for wall wash activities, and a range of inspection tools and apparatus at our disposal to facilitate the activity.

Within the region we operate, we are present no more than an hour away from any port and are available 24x7 365 days of the year.

Meanwhile, we understand and appreciate that from a shipowner point of view, time is of essence in documenting and presenting the inspection results as quickly as possible, and our laboratory partners are well placed to do so to the maximum extent possible.