Damen InvaSave mobile BWTS nears IMO Type Approval

Damen can deliver the InvaSave technology in a self-sufficient mobile container, which can be put onboard a service barge or moved around the port on a trailer or a pontoon

AUGUST 10, 2016 — Although Damen’s InvaSave mobile ballast water treatment technology is designed for use in ports, in order to qualify for IMO Type Approval the system has now completed shipboard testing on board the 800 TEU containership Henrike Schepers.

During the shipboard tests, ballast water was taken in untreated and the effectiveness of the technology was validated upon discharge.

The tests indicate that InvaSave is capable of providing an IMO type approved backup in port in the event of a failure in a vessel’s on board treatment systems to uptake or discharge ballast water.

Alternatively, It can serve as a port-based alternative for shipowners who may not want to retrofit an onboard BWT or can be deployed in a port with a sudden outbreak of marine invasive species.

“More and more countries are ratifying the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) and it could enter into force in 2017; in any case, it is only a matter of time. Damen is cooperating with the service providers in the ports to provide this ballast water treatment service. This is also relevant for all port authorities, who could face congestion problems if they don’t have a contingency/emergency service in place,” said Damen Green Solutions Product Manager Matthijs Schuiten.

Groningen Seaports in the Netherlands is the first port that will provide this ballast water treatment service.

“Our location on the Wadden Sea means that we have a responsibility to push forward the progress of sustainable shipping,” says Groningen Seaports Sustainability Coordinator Bart van der Kolk. “We are fully prepared for the ratification of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the effort of some frontrunners like Royal Wagenborg, Van Gansewinkel, Imares, MEA-nl and Damen.”

The results of the shipboard InvaSave test meet the D2-Standard of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention in all aspects. This includes a test series conducted with the high sediment waters of the River Hull and the River Thames, U.K.

An overall and important principle is that the system is robust, and works under all relevant circumstances, regardless of the composition of the ballast water. Test protocols are in line with IMO BWMC test guidelines and additional requirements of the Dutch flag state. All testing was conducted by MEA-nl.

Damen can deliver the InvaSave technology in a self-sufficient mobile container, which can be put onboard a service barge or moved around the port on a trailer or a pontoon.

The system uses filtering and UV technology and does not contain chemicals or hazardous substances.

IMO type approval is expected to be obtained 2016 and a patent is pending.