Innovation overcomes BWT problems

摘要

Global economic losses caused by harmful species were estimated in 2004/5 to exceed 7bn$ annually. In 2004 the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Convention on the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments became the instrument to prevent the world wide spread of harmful invasive species in unmanaged ballast water, but at that point no equipment existed that would help ship owners or operators manage the problem. Where do you start to develop a totally new set of technologies capable of treating many thousands of gallons of ballast water to ensure that no potentially invasive organisms can be transported around the world to contaminate new environments? That was the challenge accepted and overcome by marine engineers Coldharbour Marine.