Damen partners with TeamTec on Avitalis BWTS

OCTOBER 18, 2016 — Damen Green Solutions has signed a letter of intent with Tvedestrand, Norway, based TeamTec AS to supply the innovative Avitalis ballast water treatment system (BWTS). Currently undergoing land-based testing for U.S. Coast Guard approval and shipboard testing for IMO approval, the system uses a combination of filtration and chemical treatment.

Optimized for medium-sized to large vessels, the system is highly effective in water of any salinity, turbidity or temperature, according to Damen.

The chemical used in the Avitalis treatment process is Peraclean Ocean, developed by Germany’s Evonik Industries AG, whose Peraclean family of biocides is widely used in the medical and foodstuffs and beverages industries to disinfect equipment. With a broad anti-microbial spectrum, it is effective even at low temperatures and rapidly decomposes into water, oxygen and acetic acid, which is readily biodegradable.

Damen began discussions with Evonik two years ago regarding its research into marine applications for Peraclean. In February 2016, Evonik partnered with TeamTec to combine Evonik’s research with TeamTec’s maritime know-how and analytical expertise to optimize Avitalis; a highly effective and dependable ballast water treatment system.

With this latest agreement, Damen will deliver the global sales, integration engineering installation and servicing capability for the system via its 32 shipbuilding and repair yards around the world.

“For Damen our priority is always the highest quality possible,” said Barry Stolk of Damen Green Solutions. “TeamTec is a respected name in the marine industry with over 30 years of experience, and Evonik is a world leader in its sector. We have every confidence that the Avitalis ballast water treatment system has a great future ahead of it.”

“Marine equipment manufacturer TeamTec and the Damen Group have over many years developed a solid relationship based on mutual trust”, says Ole Bulien, TeamTec’s sales representative responsible for the Netherlands. “Damen Green Solutions provides its clients with perfect turnkey solutions for the integration of ballast water treatment systems both for newbuilds and on retrofits, including all stages of engineering and project management. This high quality and effective concept, based on the extensive shipbuilding knowledge within Damen, fits perfectly with TeamTec’s core business of focusing on supplying well tested quality equipment plus relevant equipment integration support. We are glad and proud to be a part of this team.”

It is anticipated that IMO type approval for Avitalis will be achieved in the first half of 2017, followed by full USCG ballast water management system (BWMS) type approval later the same year.

Avitalis system laid out on two decks