OceanSaver has supplied and commissioned its first ballast water treatment system to gain classification society DNV’s approval as a retrofit installation. The project was completed over the summer of 2011 on the car carrier Höegh Trove, operated by Höegh Autoliners and managed by Höegh Fleet Services.
The installation precedes the mandatory requirements of the IMO 2004 International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments to prevent the spread of marine invasive species via ballast water.
DNV’s approval process involved detailed evaluation of every aspect of vessel safety including the new power balance of the vessel, stripping procedures for the ballast tanks, hydrogen evacuation from the disinfectant units and the thorough testing of ballasting sequences.
“The class approval process involved engagement with DNV experts from several disciplines and our success has set the standard for all future retrofit installations in the deep sea market,” said Tor Atle Eiken, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing of OceanSaver. Technical feasibility is one the most important issues to be evaluated when retrofitting a treatment system, says Jad Mouawad Senior Engineer for Cargo Handling and Piping systems of DNV. “Our surveyors have worked closely with the shipowner and equipment supplier to achieve a result that meets everyone’s expectations for efficient operations and the safety of ship, crew and the environment.”
The system installed on Höegh Trove is fully integrated with the ship’s existing automation system and is capable of handling ballast water at a rate of 1,000m3/h. It is based on OceanSaver’s MKI (first version) technology which includes filtration, cavitation, disinfection and nitrogen super saturation as treatment stages. Another 9 OceanSaver systems are planned for installation on Höegh vessels over the coming years and OceanSaver’s current order book exceeds NOK 400 million in value.