Pittsburgh, PA, March 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hyde Marine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Calgon Carbon Corporation, has announced that it has successfully been awarded Type Approval by the Norwegian Administration through Norway’s recognized organization, DNV GL, under the newly revised Ballast Water Management Code (BMW Code), also known as MEPC.300(72). Certification under this newly issued regulatory regime ensures that the Hyde GUARDIAN-US is now available for sale and installation on vessels around the world and will remain so even after the phase-out of the initial IMO Type Approval regime on October 28, 2020. The system is still under review by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for Type Approval under the requirements of 46 CFR 162.060.
“This is a substantial milestone,” said Chris Todd, Executive Director of Hyde Marine. “This means that over ninety percent of the world’s fleet that does not discharge ballast water in the United States can begin installing the most advanced ballast water treatment system on the market today. There has been growing uncertainty over the availability of systems after the [October 28] deadline and this puts another key name across the finish line and ready to deliver product into 2021 and beyond.”
When the BWM Code was issued first as MEPC 279(70) on 26 October 2016, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) took the stand that ballast water treatment systems need to be certified under a newly revised set of testing guidance or risk having their Type Approvals invalidated two years after the revised test protocols were put into place. When the revised testing procedures were issued in April of 2018, the mechanism was put in place that any system not approved under MEPC.300(72) could no longer be installed on vessels after 28 October 2020.
“We have been testing and developing our Hyde GUARDIAN-US system since the middle of 2015,” says Hyde Marine Senior Market Manager Mark Riggio. “We could have rushed a product to market. We chose to bring the right product to market and to certify it so shipowners will not have to change models mid-way through the implementation cycle.”
Hyde Marine is one of the world’s most successful ballast water treatment (BWT) technology companies with more than 500 of its ballast water treatment systems sold to date. The Hyde GUARDIAN-US BWTS uses space-efficient filtration and ultraviolet disinfection to treat ships' ballast water to prevent the spread of invasive species from port to port. The design of the system closely mirrors the existing Hyde GUARDIAN-Gold product, and customers can easily upgrade their existing equipment to meet the new treatment standard.
“Hyde Marine has been a leader in ballast water treatment since the drafting of the initial convention,” says Jim Coccagno, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Calgon Carbon. “It should be no surprise to the market that we are ready for this latest regulatory change.”
The Hyde GUARDIAN-US BTWS was tested with water containing organism counts far exceeding IMO and USCG requirements and was tested with the most demanding water conditions to challenge the limits of system performance. Hyde Marine’s new system features full, automatic flow regulation, an exclusive alarm which provides crews an indication that the system may be operating outside of the as-tested boundaries, and a pioneering dose-based algorithm for ensuring system performance. These revolutionary changes, paired with the new intuitive GUARDIAN interface, mean that ship owners finally have a system that meets their needs for usability, serviceability, and transparency in operation. All in a package that still features one of the smallest footprints in the market.
While it is important to note that systems installed prior to the expiry of the previously approved systems are still able to be used, owners with existing contracts or agreements may face a sudden need to change suppliers only one year into their retrofit cycle. By ensuring that customers had access to the GUARDIAN-US product in early 2020, Hyde Marine is allowing the market to prepare for these changes and secure supply throughout the entire retrofit cycle without costly restrictions of expensive re-engineering.
Hyde Marine now awaits the results of the U.S. Coast Guard’s review so that the product can also be offered to vessels flying the U.S. flag and those limited vessels that trade to, and discharge ballast in, the waters of the United States.
Visit www.hydemarine.com for more information.
About Calgon Carbon Corporation
Calgon Carbon, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) (Kuraray), is a global leader in the manufacture and/or distribution of innovative coal-, wood- and coconut-based activated carbon products – in granular, powdered, pelletized and cloth form – to meet the most challenging purification demands of customers throughout the world.
Complemented by world-class activated carbon and ultraviolet (UV) light purification and disinfection equipment systems and service capabilities, as well as diatomaceous earth and perlites, Calgon Carbon provides purification solutions for more than 700 distinct applications, including drinking water, wastewater, pollution abatement, and a variety of industrial and commercial manufacturing processes.
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Calgon Carbon employs approximately 1,350 people and operates 20 manufacturing, reactivation, innovation and equipment fabrication facilities in the U.S., Asia, and in Europe, where Calgon Carbon is known as Chemviron.
Calgon Carbon was acquired by Kuraray in March of 2018. With complementary products and services, the combined organization will continue to focus on providing the highest quality and most innovative activated carbon and filtration media products, equipment, and services to meet customer needs anywhere in the world. For more information, visit calgoncarbon.com.
About Hyde Marine
Hyde Marine is part of Calgon Carbon UV Technologies LLC. With more than 100 years in the maritime industry and pioneering development of ballast water treatment technologies, Hyde Marine has become the leading U.S. manufacturer and educator regarding regulations, technologies, installation experiences, and challenges facing this sector. Since its initial launch in 1998, the Hyde GUARDIAN® BWTS has emerged as an industry leader featuring mechanical separation with filtration followed by UV disinfection – with more than 500 Hyde GUARDIAN units sold to date for installation in various ship types and sizes around the world.
Media Contact:
Amanda Lofty
amanda.lofty@kuraray.com