Belgium-based tanker shipping company Euronav has selected Ecochlor ballast water management systems (BWMS) for seven of its Suezmax and VLCC vessels.
Under the agreement, Euronav has an option to purchase an additional 30 Ecochlor systems for its tankers between 2020 and 2024.
Three of the Euronav ships to be retrofitted with the Ecochlor BWMS have flow rates at 8,000 m3/hr but will still require one treatment system. This option offered Euronav an efficient means to install and then treat ballast water onboard the company’s vessels, according to the BWMS manufacturer.
“We are pleased to work alongside Euronav to protect our oceans, in addition to providing them with a safe and effective alternative in ballast water treatment,” Steve Candito, Ecochlor’s CEO, commented.
“During a seven-month process for selecting a BWMS provider, along with engineering consultants, we concluded that the Ecochlor system concentrates the elements that we believe will provide a reliable, straight forward solution for complying with regulations,” Zois Dagkaris, Procurement & Logistics Manager at Euronav, said.
“The fact that the Ecochlor Service Technicians will be on board our vessels approximately two times per year handling chemical resupply and their availability to provide preventative maintenance and supplemental crew training is considered a plus for ensuring proper functionality of the system and close follow up,” he added.
“This is all in support of the Euronav commitment to keeping our ships in compliance with BWM regulations today and into the future for a sustainable ocean environment.”
Euronav currently operates a fleet of 72 vessels comprising tankers and FSO units, according to the company’s website.