Ecochlor, Inc. announced that it has received Product Design Assessment (PDA) Approval from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for their full range of ballast water treatment systems (BWTS). These systems have the capacity to treat ballast water flow rates of up to 16,000 m3/hr.
Prior to ABS PDA Approval, the Ecochlor BWTS received IMO G9 Final Approval in September 2010. In November 2011, Ecochlor was granted IMO Type Approval (G8) from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). Ten consecutive test cycles on land and aboard ship over a two-year period resulted in no surviving organisms after treatment. With testing results of all zeros, it proved that the system could meet or exceed proposed US requirements of at least 10X IMO standards. This completed the international approvals of all of Ecochlor’s Systems and confirms that they fully comply with the 2004 IMO International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments.
Ecochlor, Inc., founded in 2001, has had systems in service since 2004, and two of them have been operating under the United States Coast Guard’s Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) since 2008.
"Charlie Miller, Chairman and CEO said, “With these approvals, ship-owners can be assured that Ecochlor will continue to provide safe, efficient and cost effective ballast water solutions and offer the flexibility to operate in any environmental condition normally encountered by ships operating globally."
The Ecochlor BWTS uses a two-step process to treat ballast water – filtration followed by disinfection with the well-known biocide, chlorine dioxide. The system’s effectiveness is not impaired by variations in salinity, temperature, turbidity, organics, and vibration, which can impact other treatment options. Furthermore, the small size, low power, and low maintenance characteristics of the Ecochlor system make it ideally suited for installation on the world’s largest ships. Compatibility with explosion protection specifications also allows the Ecochlor system to be easily installed on tankers.
With its simple design, the Ecochlor system reduces complexity and time in the installation process, which makes it a superb choice for use on both new and currently existing ships. For more information on Ecochlor® BWTS access the company website at www.ecochlor.com.