A containerised ballast water treatment system (BWTS) is said to represent a major advancement in maritime technology.

The launch of the InTankFITT container was announced by BWTS manufacturer and marine sanitation devices company Scienco/FAST and BWTS service provider UniBallast, based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The solution is a containerised version of the InTank BWTS, designed to address growing regulatory and operational challenges, and offers the following benefits:

Compact and portable design: preassembled and housed in a shipping container, enabling one treatment system to be shared between two or more project vessels or barges that do not require regular ballast water treatment.

Regulatory compliance: treatment is checked twice and the total residual oxidant is recorded before discharge with automated, easy-to-read treatment reports available to the crew, port authorities, and customers before discharge. 

Operational efficiency: the filterless design eliminates the need for a complex and lengthy filtration process, reducing operational downtime and maintenance requirements. Fitted to a port-based ballast water reception barge, InTank’s non-filter and in-tank treatment makes receiving water from a discharging vessel very simple.

Scalable and flexible: suited to retrofits and temporary applications, the container design can be mounted on the deck or placed on a temporary platform for operation. The system's compact design allows it to be housed in a standard 20-foot container, facilitating worldwide shipping. InTank water treatment is not linked to ballast operations, removing stress during intake and discharge.

“The application for the SciencoFAST InTank container is for up to 50 000 deadweight tonnage, or the system can treat 500 m3 to 5 000 m3 of ballast water, up to 12 tanks (upgradeable) and all water types, which is a significant portion of the market. UniBallast offers this as both a product and a service, and this new capability not only simplifies ballast water management but empowers ship-owners and operators to achieve compliance with confidence and ease,” said senior VP UniBallast Rudy Mes.

The InTank container is available for hire or purchase.