Page 46 - Damen Shipyards Group

46 SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL
THINKING INSIDE
THE BOX
DAMEN INVASAVE SHOWS ITS CREDENTIALS
As of September 8 , 2019 the IMO’s Ballast Water Convention will
th
extend its reach. From that date, the regulations will apply not
only to newbuild vessels upon delivery, but to existing ones too.
Existing vessels will be required to comply by the time of their first
IOPP certificate renewal following that date. As ever, Damen Green
Solutions is readying itself to provide the necessary support.
47
Damen launched the InvaSave 300 back in 2017 in preparation
for the Ballast Water Convention coming into force the same year.
The IMO-certified system is an external ballast water treatment
unit designed primarily for use in ports and harbours. InvaSave
treats ballast water in a single pass using mechanical filtration and
ultraviolet radiation to remove and eradicate invasive organisms,
to IMO-D2 standards, from inbound vessels. It can provide ballast
water of the same quality to outbound vessels.
Demonstrating the potential InvaSave has, Damen was recently
asked to assist a vessel that had experienced a failure of its on
board ballast water treatment systems.
“Its versatility extends way beyond its mobility, however. Who would
have imagined, for example, that a port-based treatment system
could serve the offshore industry?” Asks Damen Green’s Philip
Rabe. “Consider FPSOs – they are at sea for years at a time and
need ballast water exchange only very infrequently. Nonetheless,
they are required to comply with the regulations. Invasave provides
a solution without the need for costly conversion – and without
taking up valuable onboard storage space.“
SHOWING SUITABILITY WITH SERVICE
In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system Damen has
developed the InvaSave Service. Philip explains:
“With the InvaSave Service, we don’t only supply the InvaSave
equipment for customers to treat ballast water, we come to you,
operating the system ourselves, to actually treat ballast water
in a certified and compliant manner. It’s part of Damen’s goal to
go beyond merely supplying products and to be an innovative
maritime solutions provider.
“We recognise that InvaSave is an innovative concept and that,
despite proving its effectiveness via certification and awards,
operators may like to see its results first-hand before committing
to its use. Therefore have taken it upon ourselves to prove the
product!”
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT ON TOUR
Damen initially launched the service back in 2017 and now things
are in full swing. The company has built four InvaSave units and has
successfully operated them in north European ports.
“We have now conducted several projects, in different ports, for
clients who would otherwise have been stuck with no ballast water
management solution available. The InvaSave Service clearly
demonstrates the validity of the InvaSave business case.”
In order to further develop the InvaSave network, Damen is also
participating in projects with other partners.
“For example, we are part of the EC-funded INTERREG Europe
Blue Port Services project. This initiative aims at bringing together
maritime stakeholders from throughout Europe to cooperate on
issues relating to the management of ships’ effluents – including
ballast water.
“With this we are performing demonstrations of the InvaSave in
various ports. We are demonstrating what the system can do
“With the InvaSave Service, we don’t to a wide audience and, at the same time, playing our part in
only supply the InvaSave equipment for developing a consensus on best practice for reception station and
customers to treat ballast water, we come maritime effluent management.
to you, operating the system ourselves, GROWING RELEVANCY
to actually treat ballast water in a “The InvaSave Service and other demonstrations of the product
have demonstrated what we believed from the start – that there
certified and compliant manner.” is clear relevancy for port-based ballast water treatment. This
relevancy will only grow in the coming months and years and we
look forward to expanding the InvaSave network further.”