Understanding Oil Discharge Monitoring Equipment (ODME)

Safeguarding the maritime environment is a prerogative that you cannot ignore. Oil Discharge Monitoring Equipment & Control Systems (ODME) is a requirement that ensures legal compliance and environmental protection at the same time. It’s a critical piece of bridge and engine room equipment that ensures the tankers operate within the stipulated international laws when it sets sails preventing catastrophic pollution of our oceans.

Main Uses of an ODME system on ships

Every oil tanker that sails the oceans pose an environmental pollution risk, which is, what happens to the contaminated ballast water and oil residues that is left behind after the cargo is discharged. Before a tanker takes on new cargo, the ballast water that has oil remnants must be discharged back into the sea and this process if left unmonitored can cause irreversible harm to marine life and the ecosystem.

The ODME system tackles this challenge by continuously measuring the oil content of water being discharged from the vessel’s cargo tanks and slop tanks. It is designed to monitor, record, and control the discharge of ballast water and oil-contaminated tank water from cargo areas.

“ODME is the last line of defence between a tanker's slop tanks and the open sea — a silent, continuous guardian watching every litre discharged overboard."

It is different from the 15 ppm bilge monitors used on general cargo ships, ODME operates within a more complex computational framework. It is not monitoring a single PPM threshold, rather it continuously calculates measures and monitors the instantaneous rate of oil discharge in litres per nautical mile, ensuring that at any given time the rate limit nor the voyage total is exceeded.

The Important Components of the ODME

• Oil Content Meter (OCM): The analytical heart of the system. Measures oil concentration using light transmission and scattering, continuously reporting in PPM.
• Flow Meter: Monitors the volumetric flow rate of discharge in real time, providing critical data to calculate the instantaneous oil discharge rate
• GPS Interface: It feeds the ship position and speed into the computing unit, enabling accurate calculation of litres discharged per nautical mile.
• Computing & Recording Unit for Datalogging: This is the control brain that processes all data, manages automatic valve operation, and maintains a time-stamped log retained for at least three years.

The IMO Resolutions Governing ODME

MARPOL, the international convention for the prevention of pollution for ships administered by the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) mandated the requirement of ODME. Two resolutions form the backbone of ODME regulatory framework, and oil Tankers of 150 gross tonnage and above must comply with both.

• MEPC.108(49) – This primary resolution that came into force in from 2005, establishes performance specifications, type-approval procedures, core discharge limits, calibration requirements and data recording obligations that every approved ODME must comply to.
• MEPC.240(65) – This came into force in January 2016 with the amendment of MEPC.108(49) to account for the unique characteristics of biofuel cargoes. Ships that carry biofuel blends must have an ODME type-approved to handle those specific cargo grades.
• It also mandates onboard storage of recommended spare parts.

The Discharge Limits ODME Must Enforce

• The instantaneous discharge rate must not exceed 30 Litres of oil per nautical mile.
• The Total quantity discharged must not exceed 1/30,000 of the total cargo quantity from which the discharge was formed.
• Discharge Condition: Discharge is only permitted when the vessel is en route at sea, at normal speed, and outside designated special areas.
• Special Areas Zero Discharge Applies: Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, Red Sea, Gulfs Area and Gulf of Aden are special areas where ODME must enforce complete prohibition of overboard discharge.
• MEPC.108(49) requires the ODME to be tamper-resistant by mandating that any access beyond basic controls be logged or involve broken seals to ensure detectable circumvention for Port State Control.

KSB SEIL ODME: Tamper-Proof Precision, Unshakeable Compliance.

KSB Seil Co, Ltd the Korean division of the global KSB group has established itself as one of the foremost names in marine ODME technology. With the experience gained from shipbuilding KSB Seil is a specialist brand in Valve Remote Control Systems, Oil Discharge Monitoring Equipment, and Hydraulic Actuators with an extensive portfolio of delivery references across the world’s major tanker fleets.

KSB Seil’s S-3000 ODME Model :

The Benchmark System KSB Seil’s S-3000 ODME model provides full compliance with IMO Resolution MEPC.108(49) & MEPC.240(65) and it is Biofuel certified and boasts a world-wide installer base.

Some of its notable features are:

1. Self-calibration with automatic zeroing — no manual recalibration needed between annual surveys
2. Fiber optic intrinsically safe multi-cell detection for precise PPM readings across all oil types
3. Self-cleaning measuring vessel reduces fouling and minimises maintenance burden on crew
4. Backflushing and across-running functions to verify all system components are functioning correctly
5. PPM alarm and total oil limit alarm with automatic, instantaneous overboard valve closure
6. Integrated GPS display for real-time ship position and speed tracking within the computing unit
7. Ver.2 biofuel revision ensures compliance with MEPC.240(65) for evolving cargo grade requirements
8. Retrofit-compatible with older Seil Seres MKII, MKIII, and SS-2000 systems already on board .

Whether your tanker is a classic workhorse or a new-build marvel, KSB Seil’s range provides a seamless, high-performance fit for any vessel age. The SS-2000 and S663 MKIII offer easy, compliant retrofits for pre-2005 vessels, while the cutting-edge S-3000 Ver.2 serves modern fleets with a cost-effective upgrade path for Ver.1 units to achieve biofuel compliance without a full system overhaul.

Metromac : Your Trusted ODME Service Partner

With over 4 decades of maritime excellence, Metromac Marine Automation delivers manufacturer-certified support for KSB Seil ODME systems worldwide. As an authorized sales and service center, we provide manufacturer- certified expertise directly to your vessel whenever it call at port.

• Authorized Calibration & Certification: Ensuring your system meets mandatory annual accuracy standards.

• Precision Retrofits: Seamlessly integrating modern ODME units into existing vessel structures.

• Genuine Spares: Rapid sourcing of original manufacturer parts to maintain system integrity.

• System Upgrades: Transitioning S-3000 Ver.1 units to Ver.2 for full biofuel compliance.

• Troubleshooting & Repair: On-site diagnostics and repair of sensors, flowmeters, and computing units.

• Remote Technical Support: Instant expert guidance to resolve operational issues wherever your vessel calls port.

Explore our pollution monitoring and compliance services offered by Metromac

Reach us for our specialized services today. service@metromac.com for service enquiries or sales@metromac.com for product enquiries