ACTON, MASS – (October 13, 2008) – Ecochlor, Inc. announced today that the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved its application for Guideline 9 (G9) Basic Approval of the Ecochlor Ballast Water Treatment System at the MEPC 58 meeting in London. The approval was received at the recommendation of the GESAMP-Ballast Water Working Group. GESAMP is the international Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection responsible for reviewing and recommending approval of these applications. The application was submitted on Ecochlor’s behalf by the German Federal Maritime Agency (Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH)).
IMO G9 is a two step approval process to determine the acceptability of ballast water treatment systems that use active substances in regards to ship safety, human health and the aquatic environment. To make this determination, the GESAMP-BWWG conducts a thorough review of technical and scientific data from laboratory and prototype testing of the ballast water treatment system. The MEPC grants G9 Basic Approval after careful review and recommendation by the GESAMP-BWWG. Guideline 9 Final Approval for ballast water treatment systems using active substances must be obtained from results obtained during extensive land based testing of a commercial scale system. This testing of the Ecochlor system was successfully completed in July 2008 at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) in the Netherlands.
The application for G9 Final Approval will be submitted in December 2008, with approval expected in the 2nd quarter of 2009.
In parallel, Ecochlor will be conducting the necessary ship board testing to fulfill the requirements for IMO Guideline 8 (G8) Type Approval. The administration of a member country issues a Type Approval Certificate for successful equipment performance during land based and ship board testing in accordance with IMO Guideline 8. Type Approval verifies efficacy, safety, design, construction, operation, and function of the ballast water treatment system. Testing of the Ecochlor Ballast Water Treatment System will take place aboard the M/V Moku Pahu. The system on the M/V Moku Pahu was installed in 2005 and has a capacity of 1,500 m3/hr. The M/V Moku Pahu, operated by Matson Navigation, is a bulker that caries sugar from Hawaii to the West coast of the US, as well as other bulk cargos to various countries. Certification of the Ecochlor System is anticipated in the 3rd quarter of 2009.
About Ecochlor
Ecochlor has developed a proprietary state-of-the-art ballast water treatment system to provide a global solution to the transfer of aquatic invasive species. Ecochlor’s system, the Ecochlor Ballast Water Treatment System, is patented in the U.S., Australia, Singapore and Korea and other patents are pending in the U.S. and internationally. Ecochlor Systems provide the shipping industry with a cost effective, environmentally acceptable treatment system, which provides immediate compliance with all enacted and proposed standards and regulations. Ecochlor’s in-house experts and team of strategic partners not only supply complete design and fabrication of the Ecochlor Systems, but also marine engineering, naval architecture, chemical treatment expertise, shipboard installation and ongoing technical and regulatory certification support.
Ecochlor is based in the USA with capabilities to install, service and support systems throughout the world.