ERMA First Reaches Finals of Research and Innovation Competition

ERMA First ESK Engineering Solutions SA qualified in the second phase of the second Contest Applied Research & Innovation "Greece Innovates!" co-organized by SEV (Hellenic Federation of Enterprises) and Eurobank.

The competition received 242 innovative proposals from leading research centers and enterprises, which demonstrate the high value of Greek researchers. Having qualified to the second phase of the competition, ERMA First is asserting the first place.

The proposals evaluated concerned products and services of applied research and innovation, which seek to improve our quality of life, while, at the same time promoting and enhancing the extroversion of the Greek economy.

The project of ERMA First ESK Engineering Solutions SA concerns the development, design and certification of an innovative, integrated management system of ballast water. Ballast water is sea water carried by a ship when it is empty of cargo in order to maintain its safe navigation. Ballast water usually carries with it microorganism, which are thus transferred between different ecosystems. Because of this transfer a disturbance of biodiversity has been observed over the last thirty years, with adverse effects on human health, the environment and local economies.

ERMA First BWTS uses an advanced filtration and cyclonic separation system, during uptake, for the efficient removal of large organisms and sediment. Conditioned ballast water is directed to an electrolysis unit for the production of free chlorine, as active substance for the disinfection of the remaining organisms. In short ballast voyages (less than 5-7 days) the residual active substance (TRO) in the treated ballast water is neutralized before discharge, by the use of a neutralizing agent, sodium bisulfite.