Wartsila Water Systems became the 10th manufacturer to obtain a Ballast Water Management System Type Approval Certificate by the US Coast Guard Marine Safety Center. After a detailed review of the manufacturer’s type approval application, the MSC determined the system met the requirements of 46 CFR 162.060.
The treatment principle of the Wartsila Aquarius EC BWMS consists of filtration with electrolysis during uptake and neutralization at discharge. This approval covers models with maximum treatment rated capacities between 250 m3/h and 4,000 m3/h.
This comes after the type approval for the Aquarius UV from the IMO in 2011, as well as Alternate Management System (AMS) acceptance from the USCG. AMS acceptance provides regulatory compliance for all ships operating in US waters for an interim period of up to five years from the ships specific compliance date, or until full USCG type approval is achieved.
In late June, the USCG issued the ninth BWMS type approval certificate to BIO-UV Group, for its BIO-SEA B BWMS. On June 15, USCG MSC granted the eighth Ballast Water Management System Type Approval Certificate to to Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., for its Purimar BWMS. Also in the same month, Techcross received a BWMS Type Approval Certificate for its Electro-Cleen BWMS.
Optimarin (Norway), Alfa Laval (Sweden), TeamTec Ocean Saver (Norway), Sunrui (China), Ecochlor (USA) and Erma First (Greece) have also won the USCG type approval.
