Korean system well received by Far Eastern yards
The company says that it won the first contract to be awarded anywhere to install a BWTS on a VLCC; the system, on a 317,000 dwt VLCC at Hyundai, has recently successfully completed onboard tests.
Another first claimed by Techcross was the first anti-explosive BWTS, which was installed on a ship built in Japan.
The Techcross system operates by electrolysis, passing sea water between the electrode modules in the main unit. At this point, says the company, due to the potential differences and the radical reaction generated immediately by electrolysis with sea water, microorganisms in the ballast water are disinfected. Hypochlorite (total residual oxidants) generated by electrolysis remains in the ballast water and then flows into the ballast water tank. This treated ballast water containing hypochlorite will satisfy IMO performance standards after 6 hours. The remaining chlorine is expunged, to less than 0.02 ppm, through an automatic neutralisation system and is discharged harmlessly.
The company was established in 2000, and its patented electrolysis BWTS has been IMO approved and granted a type approval certificate by the Korean Administration.
Techcross points out that so far 27 countries, representing 25.3% of world merchant shipping tonnage, have ratified the IMO ballast water management (BWM) Convention. The Convention will go into effect 12 months after 30 countries, constituting 35% of merchant tonnage, pass the bill.
