New System Stirs Ballast Water, Doesn?t Filter

Panasonic Environmental Systems & Engineering has developed an onboard ballast water management system using an in-line electrolysis and a new stirring device.

In the newly developed ballast water management system, called ATPS-BLUE sys, an electrolysis unit is placed in the main ballast water pipe. The unit generates hypochlorous acid to disinfect the microorganisms in ballast water. The stirring device enhances the efficacy of the sterilization so that microorganisms in ballast water will be treated to fully conform to the discharge-standards by the IMO without using filters.

The ATPS-BLUE sys is filter-less so that backwashing and changing of the filter cloth is unnecessary. It is also scalable according to the volume of the ballast water to be treated and the ship's internal layout.

Panasonic is aiming to release the syste for sale in the fiscal year starting in April 2015 through Exeno Yamamizu Corporation headquartered in Tokyo.