Japans first ballast water management system approved

Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) were recently granted final approval by the IMO for their jointly-developed Hitachi Ballast Water Purification System (ClearBallast). This system makes use of active substances (G9) and is the first Japanese system to receive such approval.

In preparation for type approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, the two companies performed land-based testing in Tokyo Bay and also carried out shipboard testing using a full-scale prototype system installed on a 78,500 m3 LPG tanker built by MHI at its Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works and owned by Yuyo Steamship. These tests were carried out in parallel and both cleared the Ballast Water Performance Standard regulated in the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships? Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004, known as D-2 standard.

Looking ahead, Hitachi Plant Technologies and MHI plan to complete the administrative procedures required for type approval and to actively engage in sales activities with the aim of securing orders for 100 units in FY2012.