EBDG has been contracted to design the test system which will include three large holding tanks (>80,000 gals), associated piping, pumps, automated controls and data acquisition. This system will be integrated into Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s marine laboratory facilities in Sequim, WA. The design is scheduled for completion in 2009, with construction to follow. MSL will be the only ballast water RDTE facility on the US west coast.
The mission of the facility will be to verify the effectiveness of technologies used to treat ballast water from ships, as well as conduct research and development on treatment technologies and verification systems. Treatment technologies may include physical, chemical and biological processes, and will be tested for their ability to kill organisms and produce effluent that meets water quality standards. Currently, International Maritime Organization (IM0) treatment protocols are in effect. US protocols are being developed and will become mandatory after adoption by the US Coast Guard. The MSL facility will be designed to test systems in accordance with both IMO and US protocols.
About Elliott Bay Design Group
With offices in Seattle and New Orleans, Elliott Bay Design Group provides naval architecture, marine engineering and production support for the commercial marine industry, serving owners, operators, shipyards and government agencies across the country. Elliott Bay Design Group LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Commercial Lines Inc.
Visit EBDG on the web at www.ebdg.com.
