First Danish Ballast Water Management System Approved

DESMI Ocean Guard's Ballast Water Management System Approved

The first Danish ballast water management system has just been approved.

Green growth

The Danish company DESMI Ocean Guard A/S has had its ballast water management system approved – as the first company in Denmark. When the system is installed on board a ship, it removes plants and animals that could otherwise travel as stowaways in ballast water.

This new system is a good example of the comprehensive green conversion that international shipping is facing in coming years and that presents a great growth potential for environmentally-friendly and energy efficient maritime solutions. Thus, the management system is an example of one of the green solutions that the Government focuses on in its Growth plan for the Blue Denmark.

 Purifies all types of water

The system is the first one ever to have passed the IMO test in three marine environments – both salt water as in the Atlantic, brackish water as in the Baltic and freshwater which is applicable to ships navigating the great American lakes. The system purifies the water by means of filters, ultraviolet light and the gas ozone.

The problem with ballast water is that it contains organisms that spread by means of the ships. Mitten crabs from China, killer jellyfish from America and Sargasso weed from Japan have all been introduced to Danish waters through ballast water. The two last species have after their arrival spread hastily to the detriment of, inter alia, fish, mussels and marine plants that belong in Denmark.

One of the explanations of the success of the newly arrived plants and animals is that often they do not have any natural enemies where they are discharged.

 Soon a legislative requirement

Denmark acceded to the international ballast water management convention in 2012 as country number 36. When the provisions of the convention enter into force, all merchant ships will be required to purify their ballast water before it is emptied into the sea. This is expected to occur in 2014.

The management system has been developed with support from the Partnership on Ballast Water, the program for green technology under the Ministry of the Environment and the Danish Maritime Fund. The Partnership on Ballast Water has representatives from the Danish Nature Agency, the Danish Maritime Authority and the Danish Shipowners’ Association.

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DESMI, February 20, 2013