New Ballast Water Treatment Solutions from Damen

 

The new solutions are a response to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Ballast Water Management Convention 2004, which is edging ever closer to ratification and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Ballast Water Management regulations already in force.

 

Once the IMO convention passes into legislation, an estimated 60,000 vessels worldwide will require retrofitted treatment systems, Damen said, adding that it is imperative that installation be carried out swiftly and reliably to avoid costly vessel downtime. To meet this goal, Damen has developed standardized systems, using proven technology for a ‘one time right’ approach. 

 

Speaking of the new containerized ballast water treatment system, BalCon, Gert Jan Oude Egberink, Manager of Ballast Water Treatment at Damen, explained, “The unique point about this is that prefabrication and testing can be carried out onshore, before installation. That way, when a vessel comes to the yard for repair or survey, the system will be ready to go. It’s simply a case of ‘plug and play’ – connecting the treatment system and then business as usual, with the absolute minimum of downtime for the vessel.”

 

BalCon covers a range of capacity requirements from 100m3 up to 750m3 per hour. Damen developed the system with ballast water treatment equipment from its partner Trojan Marinex and a BioSea version is also in the pipeline. BalCon is designed to use minimal space, with all equipment contained within a single TEU. 

 

This is especially useful when BalCon is to be installed on a container vessel, as the system is purpose-built to fit within the cargo hold. BalCon is also suited to tanker vessels, where the container is installed as a deckhouse. Not only does Damen offer BalCon in an optional explosion proof form for tanker usage, but there is also an option of a booster pump. 

 

Damen LoFlo, powered by BioSea, is designed as a solution for vessels requiring a lower capacity treatment system. Currently, most offerings commence with a capacity to process 100m3 per hour, leading to an unnecessarily high energy consumption and bigger footprint. LoFlo is available with either 30m3 or 60m3 capacity, reducing footprint and energy usage. The system is fitted, in a compact arrangement, to a skid for easy and efficient installation on board the vessel. It can also be installed as a modular version.

 

Oude Egberink sums up the developments, saying, “To assist owners in meeting the ballast water management challenges, Damen offers worldwide, one stop shop BWT retrofitting. With these new products we are meeting market requirements for easy, reliable retrofitting within a very short timeframe, solving the need for ‘one time right’ installation.”