Aalborg finalizes ballast water test

"This is a very important milestone in the development of our ballast water treatment system, adding to the Basic Approval received from IMO in 2009. I would like to thank the development team of Aalborg Industries Water Treatment Pte Ltd. (joint venture between Aalborg Industries A/S and Aquaworx ATC GmbH) for a job well done so far and we look forward to bringing an ecologically friendly ballast water treatment system into the market", says President & CEO Jan Vestergaard Olsen, Aalborg Industries.

The land-based tests were carried out at The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) on the Dutch island Texel, and with the completion of satisfactory land based testing, Aalborg Industries has in May 2010 commenced the sea-based tests on the general cargo vessel "MS Timbus" sailing in Northern European waters.

The tests have so far shown very good results, and Aalborg Industries has even managed to successfully carry out eco-toxicological and water-chemistry tests beyond what is required by the standards to reach the highest level of confidence in terms of disinfection efficiency.

Type approval has been applied for with German authorities, more specifically the Federal Office for Maritime Shipping and Hydrography (BSH = Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrografie) supported by the Federal Office for Environment (UBA= Umwelt Bundes Amt).

The IMO convention is scheduled to come into force in the beginning of 2012, and Aalborg Industries expects to be ready to launch its AquaTriComb ballast water treatment system in commercial operation already in early 2011 - to secure that shipowners can achieve compliance with the forthcoming regulation with a ballast water solution of the highest standard and that it is environmentally friendly as well.

Source: Aalborg Industries / maritimedanmark.dk