On November 7, 2008 See- Berufsgenossenschaft (Marine Insurance and Ship Safety Association), VDR (German Shipowners Association) and PIA (Development and Assessment Institute in Waste Water Technology at RWTH-Aachen University) organized the 2nd Symposium on the Treatment of Waste Water and Liquid Waste on Ships (SOWOS). The event took place in Hamburg, the largest seaport of Germany. The symposium was accompanied by an exhibition of manufacturers. The evening before the start of the symposium, a “warming up” was organized in a traditional Hamburg restaurant. Participants of SOWOS came from all the parties involved in shipping (authority, certifying body, constructor, operator, R&D, ship owner, shipyard e.g.) as well as most key role industrial players in the field of maritime waste water treatment. More than 80 participants from countries like Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States got information on all fields of SOWOS. The aim of SOWOS to provide a forum for the exchange and sharing of experiences of the addressed problems was achieved. The presentations varied from legal, practice-oriented and scientific view and offered an excellent basis for discussion of the topics ballast water and waste water. See-BG, VDR and PIA wish to thank all participants for their active role during the symposium, the exhibition and the “warming up“- meeting.
Next year SOWOS 3 will be organized on November 13th, 2009 again in Hamburg. • A “warming up”- meeting in a restaurant the evening before the symposium • Same location: Handwerkskammer in Hamburg • One day symposium with exhibition open for all participants