DHI has established a land-based test facility for ballast water management at Hundested in Denmark. It uses natural freshwater, brackish and high saline seawater and offers a flexible system (up to 500 m3/h) for pumping water in ballasting and deballasting operations during pilot and full scale tests. Performance of land-based tests for our first client will be initiated in April. Space for new clients will be available from September.
DHI offers a ‘One stop shopping concept’:
• Land-based testing for verification of the performance requirements of treatment
technologies in accordance with the guidelines of the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) (G8 and G9).
• Shipboard testing of treatment technologies in accordance with IMO.
guidelines (G8).
• Ecotoxicological tests, environmental concentration modelling (PEC), human and
environmental risk assessment required to obtain basic approval and final approval
(G9).
• Research and consultancy on advanced treatment technologies - development
and testing.
Services
Landbased tests with two test water qualities can be carried out over a period of three to four months and two Ballast Water Management Systems (BMWS) can be tested simultaneously. Follow-up in the form of data processing and reporting will be completed during the following two months. “Our extensive experience and knowledge allow us to provide innovative solutions to the challenges faced by developers of ballast water technologies. A close collaboration with our clients is also of great importance to us”, says Dr Gitte Petersen, DHI.
New convention requires Ballast Water Management Systems
IMO has adopted the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments. The purpose is to reduce the risk of spreading harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens released with ballast water. The convention requires that all ships install BWMS to treat the ballast water before it is released to the environment.