Fednav leads the way with an innovative ballast water solution for the Great Lakes

Twelve BallastAce ballast water treatment systems developed by JFE Engineering in Japan have been ordered by Fednav to equip its vessels currently under construction. The purchase order makes Fednav the first shipping company in Canada and on the Great Lakes to announce the installation of a ballast water treatment system well before the regulatory requirement.

The BallastAce system will be installed on Fednav’s new lakers and will be effective in both fresh and salt water. BallastAce operates through a sophisticated filter and sodium hypochlorite injection mechanism in the ship’s ballast system.

Fednav chose this solution after years of testing. From testing on the Federal Yukon (copper ions) to the Federal Welland (electrodialytic disinfectant) to the Federal Venture (chlorination), the company has spent millions of dollars over many years to find a reliable, effective and economical solution to the environmental problems caused by invasive aquatic species.

JFE will install the first system on the Federal Biscay, which is scheduled for delivery in October 2015, which means Fednav may well be able to introduce BallastAce to the Great Lakes upon the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 2016.