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Ecochlor holds a unique position in the shipping industry as the only company in the world utilizing a patented chlorine dioxide treatment technology for ballast water. Almost all the other BWMS manufacturers (more than 70%) are using a variation of UV or electrochlorination technology.
The ability of Ballast Water Management Systems to operate reliably over the lifetime of the vessel is not something that happens by accident. In fact, reliability comes down to the choices our engineers make when designing and specifying a new BWMS.
The Ecochlor 3 Pillars of Reliability:
- Simple technology
- High-quality construction
- Shipboard visits two times per year
Customers see the benefit of the choices our engineers make through increased reliability and the dependability of the Ecochlor BWMS.
In 2006, the Moku Pahu, a U.S. flag, Jones Act bulk carrier with a route from Hawaii to San Francisco was retrofit. With ballast operations in California, this vessel encountered some of the strictest regulations in the world. For 13 years this ship ran ballast operations using the original installed system until her last voyage in January 2019. As our longest continuously operated BWMS we enjoyed not only a highly collaborative relationship with the crew but also the ability to gather valuable data on the system’s components over the years. That experience has been fed right back into the systems that we deliver to customers today.
Every time the ship reaches port it will be open to doubt whether or not they will be able to discharge the ballast water. With port state detentions or barred entry, potential financial penalties, shipowner’s reputation or the potential for charter losses are consequences of BWM non-compliance having a reliable system on board the vessel should be one of the most important considerations when choosing a BWMS. The Ecochlor BWMS has been built for reliability and optimized performance for the life of the vessel. Our Service Team is on board the vessel twice a year for chemical resupply and can offer training to new crew members at that time.
Some BWMS have been built with cost rather than quality in mind. These systems might have been the least expensive option in the market but many ship operators have found out the real costs when they turned them on. Not only did these systems not work, but in some cases the manufacturer didn’t have the capacity to service the equipment to bring it back on line. In other cases, the manufacturer has left the industry completely! It has been a costly lesson for shipowners to replace these BWMS with more dependable options. 75% of shipowners who have used other treatment technologies are now retrofitting their ship with the Ecochlor BWMS.