Hyde Marine of Pittsburgh, USA has announced that its Guardian ballast water management system (BWMS) has successfully completed the next stage toward both USCG type-approval requirements and IMO revised G8 guidelines.
“Completion of land-based testing is a great milestone for our team and for our customers. We are still in the process of shipboard testing for the Hyde Guardian system, and we expect to be able to submit our USCG type-approval application in mid-2019 following its completion. We are eager to help shipowners comply with both USCG and IMO ballast water management regulations,” said Hyde Marine executive director Chris Todd.
Interestingly, Mr Todd has been outspoken about the cost of undergoing type-approval, saying the US$4M cost is a deterrent to innovation and Hyde Marine senior market manager Mark Riggio is the current president of Ballast Water Equipment Manufacturers' Association (BEMA).
The Hyde Guardian is a filtration with medium-pressure UV for disinfection BWMS and has completed the land-based tests consisting of a minimum of 15 successful test runs in three different water salinities under varying and extremely challenging water conditions.
Completion of this new round of land-based testing in accordance with the USCG preferred stain test method is a key step in the application process for USCG type-approval, and qualifys the system under the revised IMO G8 guidelines.
The phases of the USCG type-approval process include documentation review, bench testing, land-based testing, shipboard testing, and environmental testing.
The system originally received IMO type-approval in 2009, and USCG alternate management system acceptance in 2013.
Different types of ballast water management systems and their operation will be discussed by PureBallast head of customer support Jonas Alvan and De Nora’s global proposals manager Susanna Wyllie at the Tanker Shipping & Trade Conference, Awards & Exhibition, 20-21 November 2018.