(GORINCHEM, Netherlands) — In less than five months, the IMO’s Ballast Water Convention will be extended to cover existing vessels as well as newbuilds. As of Sept. 8, all will be required to comply by the time of their first IOPP certificate renewal following that date. To assist vessel owners in meeting their obligations under the convention while at the same time offering port and harbor authorities a value-added service that they can offer to their clients, Damen Green Solutions will be taking its InvaSave 300 mobile ballast water treatment system (BWTS) on tour to demonstrate its convenience, effectiveness and cost efficiency.
The InvaSave 300 IMO-certified system is an external ballast water treatment unit that in a single pass uses mechanical filtration and ultraviolet radiation to remove and eradicate invasive organisms from ballast water as it is discharged from inbound vessels, to IMO-D2 standards. It can also provide ballast water of the same quality to outbound vessels. The entire system comes in a single, 40-foot container and so is fully mobile; ideal for placing on a barge, workboat or trailer for easy movement around a port, harbor or shipyard.
“Its versatility extends way beyond its mobility, however,” said Damen Green’s Philip Rabe. “Who would have imagined, for example, that a port-based treatment system could serve the offshore industry? Consider FPSOs – they are at sea for years at a time and need ballast water exchange only very infrequently. Nonetheless, they are required to comply with the regulations. InvaSave provides a solution without the need for costly conversion – and without taking up valuable onboard storage space."
The mobility of the InvaSave 300 has other advantages. With the InvaSave Service, Damen doesn’t only supply the InvaSave equipment to customers for treating ballast water. It goes to them and operates the system to demonstrate that the ballast water is treated in a certified and compliant manner.
“We recognize that InvaSave is an innovative concept,” said Rabe, “and that, as well as the evidence of its effectiveness via certification and awards, operators may like to see its results first-hand before committing to its use. Therefore, we have taken it upon ourselves to prove the effectiveness of the product.”
The first public demonstrations of the InvaSave European tour will take place at the cruise terminal at the port of Lisbon on May 16 and 17, as part of the European Maritime Days event. On both days, visitors can visit the Damen Green stand in the exhibition area, attend talks and participate in live demonstrations, all hosted by Damen Green experts.
More information on the InvaSave 300 can be found here.
