US-based supplier of ballast water treatment systems Envirocleanse said it has completed all land-based and shipboard testing for its inTank™ BWTS.
Having concluded these tests, Envirocleanse, part of Charter Brokerage, will submit in Q1 2018 an application to the US Coast Guard (USCG) for Type Approval.
After the appropriately scheduled International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meetings, Type Approval applications for IMO/Flag will follow, according to the company.
As explained, the inTank BWTS uses a dispersion system patented by the US Geological Survey for mixing the active substance in the ballast tanks. Treatment of the tanks is performed in transit, which means there is no disruption to in-port cargo operations.
The BWTS can use either electrically generated hypochlorite or bulk chemical as the means to provide disinfectant, the company added.
“There is no filter utilized; there are no repower requirements for the vessel; there is no crew interaction required in port. inTank … never impacts or slows down cargo operations, ballast loading or discharge operations,” Matt Hughes, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Envirocleanse , commented.
The IMO Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) entered into force in September 2017. Under the rules of the convention, all ships engaged in international trade need to manage their ballast water so as to avoid the introduction of alien species into coastal areas, including exchanging their ballast water or treating it using an approved BWTS.