17 MARCH, 2011, OSLO, NORWAY: OceanSaver today announced plans to launch revolutionary next generation ballast water management technology. The Mark II technology realises OceanSaver’s strategy to roll out its high-end technology to different sized vessels
OceanSaver’s Mark II ballast water treatment system is a specifically tailored version of its type-approved Mark I model, but with the most ‘energy demanding’ features of the original removed. The Mark II model introduces better performing filtration technology for the customer.
Sales and Marketing Director Tor Atle Eiken said; “we are sharpening the already proven OceanSaver technology with our new Mark II ballast water treatment system, this will widen our core market segments, reduce installation time and complexity for retrofit and newbuilding projects and at the same time continue to be a high quality supplier”.
OceanSaver is globally recognised as one of the leading ballast water treatment system providers, known for its high-technology ballast water treatment equipment, services, engineering and product management and system installations. The company has signed major contracts for 22 ballast water treatment systems for tanker vessels in 2010 propelling its position as a key supplier to the global large vessel fleet.
OceanSaver has been dominating in the larger sized vessel segment, but the applications for the new Mark II technology open up the medium range vessel market, thus expanding OceanSaver’s customer base. The new version also opens up the retrofit window with reduced installation time and complexity.
Ballast water treatment systems are becoming mandatory equipment onboard vessels, driven by a legal requirement following the adoption, ratification and entry into force of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention in 2004. OceanSaver has been developing its ballast water treatment systems since 2003 and has since won significant contracts following its full Type Approval certification by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) in April 2009, on behalf of the Norwegian Flag State Authority.
The system is also approved for installations in gas hazardous areas, a prerequisite for tanker applications. During the development of the technology, comprehensive and independent corrosion and coating impact studies has been carried out, both in laboratories and under real-life onboard conditions. These confirm reduced corrosion and coating weathering rates. The OceanSaver ballast water treatment system has demonstrated compliance with the intentions of the IMO Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC).
Director of R&D at OceanSaver, Aage Bjørn Andersen, has been involved in the development of environmental technologies for the offshore and shipping industries for more than 15 years. Andersen said: “OceanSaver is pretty unique as we are one of the few if not the only ballast water company with own laboratory and testing. This is significant to mention, as we are able to simulate operational conditions and test components of the system over time. This is an assurance to our clients.
The retrofit market is an area that OceanSaver will increasingly focus on, in addition to the fairly stable newbuilding market. Without the need for extra piping that would be found in the Mark I due to the addition of the cavitation units the ship owner saves time and money in the dry-docking stage.
The energy required for the complete system and related equipment is 50% less for the Mark II than for the first generation, in addition to no treatment at de-ballasting operations, this will increase the cost-efficient for ship operator. The technology behind the Mark II has been the result of many years of development at OceanSaver’s laboratories. The design concept strongly rests on the technology found in Mark I which already has full type approval. However, the new technology is undergoing separate land-based testing in March/April 2011 and the tests are expected to be finalised by mid-June.
OceanSaver predicts that by the end of the third quarter of 2011 they will have received full type approvals for the Mark II ballast water treatment system.
Source: OceanSaver