IMO Grants Basic Approval to Siemens’ SiCURE Ballast Water Management System

The Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) has granted Siemens Basic Approval for its SiCURE ballast water management system. Basic Approval indicates that the process used in the SiCURE system is suitable with respect to the safety of the ship, its crew and the environment.

The introduction of aquatic invasive species via ships’ ballast water is an increasingly disastrous ecological issue. Numerous mechanical, physical and chemical treatments that may reduce such occurrences are presently being investigated. The 2004 International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments is the major driving force for the development and adaptation of ballast water treatment systems.

The SiCURE system combines physical separation with a process of on-demand treatment with biocides produced in-situ from seawater. The system’s control logic regulates its parameters to provide treatment efficacy while minimizing any impact on the environment and the safety of the ship and its crew. As part of the rigorous IMO approval process, the system successfully underwent freshwater testing. It is currently being saltwater tested, which will lead to Final Approval. The last approval stage, Type Approval, is expected to be given in 2011.

The SiCURE system will be featured in the Siemens booth at the Shipbuilding, Machinery and Maritime Equipment tradeshow in September 2010 in Hamburg, Germany.

Siemens also specializes in the design, manufacture and commissioning of electrical equipment for all types of merchant vessels, naval vessels and submarines worldwide.

Source: Siemens AG