Japanese Government Certifies Ozone-based Ballast Water Treatment System Co-developed by MOL Mar

June 28, 2011 - PRLog -- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) today announced that “FineBallast® OZ,” an ozone-based ballast water treatment system co-developed by MOL, MOL Marine Consulting, Ltd., and others earned a certificate of compliance from the Japanese government, effective June 6th 2011.

The system was audited based on guidelines set out in the International Convention for the “Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (G8),” adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Certification required a full-scale on-land test of the system by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and other participant companies(*1) and an onboard test on the MOL-operated containership MOL Express. Both tests verified the system’s complete conformity to the ballast water treatment standard.

The system also acquired the final approval under the “Procedure for Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems that Make Use of Active Substances (G9)” by the IMO at the end of September 2010.

*1 [Participating companies]
Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (Manufacturer and sales company)
The Japan Association of Marine Safety
Shinko Ind. Ltd.
Marine Technology Institute
Laboratory of Aquatic Science Consultant Co., LTD.
MOL Marine Consulting, Ltd.
MOL

[Features of FineBallast® OZ”]
A synergistic effect of chemical killing treatment by the oxidation power of active ingredient ozone and physical killing treatment using a specially designed pipe placed in the ballast water piping lines combines a strong killing effect and a long-lasting bactericidal effect. Other features are as follows:
(1)   Killing treatment is done only once, at the time the ballast water tanks are filled
(2)   There is no need for a chemical agent for ozone supply and storage—the system produces the required amount of ozone as needed, extracting it from air
(3)   Micro bubbles of ozone are poured into the system. This achieves a high absorption efficiency and high contact efficiency against plankton and bacteria.
(4)   Harmful substances remaining in ballast water are extracted by activated charcoal. This has no impact on the environment.

MOL takes a proactive stance in initiatives to protect the marine environment, caring for biodiversity based on the MOL Group Corporate Principles.

[System flow of FineBallast® OZ]

NOTES TO EDITORS:

MOL is one of the world’s largest multi-modal transport companies, operating 861 vessels and employing a workforce in excess of 9,200 worldwide. MOL operates one of the largest and most diverse networks of liner and logistics services around the globe, including weekly Transpacific, Transatlantic, Americas and Asia-Europe services.  Please visit the company’s website at www.MOLpower.com.    



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Makoto Haneda, General Manager
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Tel: +81-3-3587-7050/Fax: +81-3-3587-7717
E-mail: mrnmo@mail.mol.co.jp

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