In-port ballast water treatment system now in production

Inside the InvaSafe container

JUNE 28, 2016 —The first production version of Damen Shipyards’ InvaSave ballast water treatment system – intended for use at Groningen Seaports – will be on display at the upcoming DelfSail sailing festival being held June 30 – July 3 in the city of Delfzijl.

Damen’s InvaSave is the world’s first ballast water treatment (BWT) system intended to operate in ports and mobile operations. The fully containerized “plug & play” unit provides shipowners with a mobile and cost-effective alternative to retrofitting fixed BWT systems. It will also give port authorities the versatility to improve the services that they can offer ship owners.

InvaSave is the result of close cooperation between Damen and Groningen Seaports, the port authority handling the Dutch ports of Delfzijl and Eemshaven. Other partner organizations include Van Gansewinkel and Royal Wagenborg in addition to Dutch marine research institutes Imares and MEA-nl.

Delfzijl and Eemshaven are situated on the coast of the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and another important partner was the “Waddenfonds” – a Dutch foundation involved with the preservation of the Wadden Sea – who provided significant financial support to establishing the project.

“We teamed up with Groningen Seaports to develop this technology. With the Wadden Sea on their doorstep, this is an important issue for them,” says Damen Green Solutions Product Manager Matthijs Schuiten. “It has been a pleasure to work with them towards their goal of a ‘green’ harbor environment. Their progressive way of thinking has played a very important role throughout the entire project.”

“Our location on the Wadden Sea means that we have a responsibility to push forward the progress of sustainable shipping,” comments Groningen Seaports Sustainability Coordinator Bart van der Kolk. “We are fully prepared for the ratification of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention.”