Asuka II to receive the Ecomarine system
Japanese companies Sumitomo Electric Industries and NYK Cruises have agreed to install a Sumitomo ‘Ecomarine’ ultraviolet ballast water management (BWM) system on one of NYK’s cruise ships.
Asuka II will receive the Ecomarine system in January 2012, and it will undertake demonstration testing of the system, which is under development by Sumitomo Electric. The two companies will cooperate in onboard testing specified by the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments.
Ecomarine incorporates filter units originally developed by Sumitomo Electric to separate large plankton and other aquatic organisms. The ballast water management system then eliminates any remaining small organisms with a medium-pressure ultraviolet system. The system has been designed to save power, while providing reliable removal of organisms. It is claimed to offer environmental benefits in comparison to other chemical-free ultraviolet BWM systems. The simple combination of filter units and compact, high-powered,medium-pressure UV system is said to offer ease of use and low maintenance.
Sumitomo says that when tested on land using a setup comparable to actual use conditions (water treatment at 200 m3/h), Ecomarine demonstrated power consumption reduction and high organism removal capacity, as intended. The company has applied for basic approval (expected to be granted in March 2012) from IMO, as specified in the G9 approval procedure. Through continuing land tests and the sea trials, the company anticipates final G9 approval in October 2012 with full type approval by the end of the fiscal year
Source: The Motorship
