Ecochlor BWTS loading onto the Golden Bear Facility.
Ecochlor BWTS loading onto the Golden Bear Facility.

Ecochlor, Inc. announced today that independent testing of its ballast water treatment system (BWTS) will begin in March as part of its application to secure United States Type Approval from the United States Coast Guard (USCG).  Ecochlor has selected DNV-GL, an Independent Laboratory authorized by the USCG, to oversee and supervise this process.    

Testing will include a series of land-based test cycles, ship-based test cycles and environmental tests.  The California Maritime Academy’s Golden Bear Facility, a USCG-approved sub-laboratory, will conduct all land-based and ship-based tests.  Commencement of land-based tests is dependent upon water conditions but is expected to begin in March.  Ship-based tests will be performed onboard the T/S Golden Bear beginning with the vessel’s sailing schedule this summer, which is currently planned for the Mediterranean Sea.  Additional environmental testing on certain components of the Ecochlor® BWTS will also be performed by Retlif Testing Laboratories, another USCG-approved sub-laboratory.  Ecochlor expects to complete its independent testing by the end of 2015.

The Ecochlor® BWTS has previously received International Maritime Organization (IMO) Type Approval and USCG Alternative Management System (AMS) Acceptance.

About DNV-GL

Driven by their purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, DNV-GL is one of the world’s leading ship and offshore classification societies.  In 2013, DNV-GL became the first classification society to achieve the status of an Independent Laboratory, which means it is authorized by the USCG to evaluate and test technologies designed to treat ballast water on ships in order to prevent the spread of non-native aquatic species in lakes, rivers and coastal waters.  Visit the DNV-GL website at www.dnvgl.com.

About California Maritime’s Golden Bear Facility

The Golden Bear Facility (GBF) is a Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDTE) facility aboard California Maritime Academy’s 500-foot vessel T/S Golden Bear.  The GBF is a unique environment for testing ballast water management systems to international and USCG standards.  The primary focus of the GBF is to evaluate the mechanical and biological efficacy of BWTS in a real, onboard, environment.  Visit the Golden Bear Facility’s website www.csum.edu/web/gbf/home.

About Ecochlor, Inc.

Ecochlor, Inc. provides shipowners with cost effective, environmentally safe ballast water treatment solutions that comply with all enacted and proposed standards and regulations.  The Ecochlor® BWTS uses a two-step process to treat ballast water – filtration followed by disinfection with the well-known biocide, chlorine dioxide.  The system’s effectiveness is not impaired by variations in salinity, temperature, turbidity, organics, and vibration, which can impact other treatment options.  Furthermore, the small size, low power, and low maintenance characteristics of the Ecochlor system make it ideally suited for installation on the world’s largest ships.  For more information on the Ecochlor® BWTS, visit the company website www.ecochlor.com.