Original news was published on 30 May, 2014

Damen Shipyards Group will unveil a pioneering new mobile ballast water treatment unit at the Posidonia exhibition in Athens next week.

Developed in-house, the fully containerized, mobile Damen InvaSave BWT unit provides ship owners with a cost-effective alternative to retrofitting fixed BWT systems. Damen has also developed the world’s first mobile treatment vessel to operate in ports and support ship deballasting operations.

The first of these customized Damen barges, fitted with Damen InvaSave units, is now under construction for service in the Dutch ports of Eemshaven and Delfzijl. One of the most important (financial) partners in this project is the Waddenfonds, the organization focusing on the preservation of the Waddensea, which is listed as a protected UNESCO world heritage site.

As well as avoiding considerable retrofit investments, the mobile solution means ballast water only needs treating at the point of discharge, in contrast to fixed onboard BWT installations that also need to treat ballast water at intake. Damen can deliver the system as a separate mobile container, which can be put on board or moved around the port on a truck.

Each Damen InvaSave container unit handles 300 m3/h – it’s easy to scale up if required by using multiple container units. The system has been successfully tested in the challenging waters of the Wadden Sea and the IJsselmeer in the Netherlands and is currently being certified by the Dutch Flag State.

Damen Shipyards Group

Damen Shipyards Group operates 40 ship and repair yards, employing 8.000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 5,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers about 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide.

Damen’s focus on standardization, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low total cost of ownership, high resale value and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.

Damen offers a wide range of products, including: tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and super yachts.

*NEWS SOURCE