• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
The Port Authority of Santos (APS) published the regulation that updates the procedures for the environmental control of ballast water management for ships and vessels in the Organized Port. The new regulation replaces the previous compliance certification model with an environmental audit and risk assessment system, supported by the use of information technologies and data integration.
To this end, the APS prepares the Ballast Water Environmental Audit Report (RAA-BWM), an instrument that classifies operations as low, moderate, high, or critical risk. In cases of the latter two, the vessel undergoes an administrative procedure, and the APS notifies the Maritime Authority, the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq), and the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) for the application of corresponding sanctions.
The issuance of the RAA-BWM certificate will be carried out by companies accredited by APS and directly contracted by shipowners. These companies must demonstrate their ability to perform automated cross-referencing of official sources, such as the Shipowner's Record Book (BWRB), the Shipowner's Navigation Management Plan (BWMP), the International Ballast Water Management Certificate (IBWMC), and satellite navigation data (AIS).
Accredited companies that do not comply with the new regulations will receive a warning (for minor infractions that are promptly corrected) or a suspension (up to 180 days in case of recurrence). Serious infractions, such as report falsification, can lead to immediate suspension and disqualification.
The issue of ballast water pollution gained relevance with the tightening of the rules of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Ballast Water Management Convention, which by the end of 2024 definitively prohibited the exchange of ballast water in the ocean and began to require the use of onboard treatment systems for the global fleet.
To ensure compliance with the new system and avoid legal uncertainty, the APS also published an ordinance requiring the interruption and definitive archiving of all accreditation applications that were being processed under the rules of the old regulation, submitted until September 1, 2026.
Companies interested in operating in the port must initiate new processes, complying with the new eligibility requirements, which include a public Application Programming Interface (API) integrated with the issuance of approvals in the Paperless Port system. The amounts collected as port fees from archived processes can be reused in the new protocols.
For firms that were already accredited and in operation, the regulation guarantees a transition period of 30 days (plus an additional seven-day period) for adaptation and the completion of a new proof of concept (PoC).
They will be given priority in their processing to ensure there are no logistical bottlenecks or disruptions in vessel docking.
