April 2010

DESMI Ocean Guard Gets Basic Approval

It is a great pleasure that DESMI Ocean Guard has now officially received the IMO Basic Approval of our Ballast Water Treatment Plant. The approval was announced during the MEPC 60 IMO assembly March 22 – 26, 2010.

DESMI Ocean Guard is in the process of developing a Ballast Water Treatment System fulfilling the requirements specified in the coming IMO Ballast Water Resolution. The Resolution is expected to be ratified later this year or early 2011. The concept used by DESMI Ocean Guard has a primary UV treatment step and ozone injection as secondary treatment. The ozone is in-situ generated during the treatment of the ballast water. The combination of UV and ozone is unique in connection with ballast water treatment and the technology is known as one of the more efficient treatment methods when removal of organic material from water is required.

 

DESMI Ocean Guard A/S is a relatively new company established by A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S, DESMI A/S and Skjølstrup & Grønborg ApS. The company is located in Aalborg, Denmark, and the focus point is development of systems for removal of living organisms from vessels’ ballast water. It is anticipated that between 50,000 – 70,000 vessels need to install such equipment in the period up to 2019, so the market potential for an energy optimized system is great.
The Basic Approval allows DESMI Ocean Guard to initiate the required land based and shipboard test program. This will prove that our system is able to remove the organic material from vessels’ ballast water as specified in the IMO requirements to system performance and at the same time not cause any ecological problems when discharging the ballast water into the harbours.

 

The land based test program will be made by DHI, Hørsholm, which has been accredited as official test institute for Ballast Water Treatment Systems. DESMI Ocean Guard will be the first client at the advanced test facility physically located at Hundested Harbour. The test program is expected to start this summer and the required shipboard test will start around New Year 2010 – 2011.

 

In case further information is required, please do not hesitate to contact DESMI Ocean Guard at coi@desmioceanguard.com or +45 96328199.