ACTON, MA, Aug. 17, 2004 (PRNewswire) -- Ecochlor Inc. and Eka Chemicals Inc. announced today that the two companies have signed exclusive agreements to develop and market systems to treat ballast water, based on proven chlorine dioxide technology. Ecochlor holds the patent and patents pending on the use of chlorine dioxide to treat ballast water and Eka holds patents on a key precursor chemical, Purate®, and process equipment used to generate chlorine dioxide.
In other news, Ecochlor announced today the company has been issued U.S. Patent 6,773,611 for its Ecopod™ Ballast Water Treatment System, developed over the last three years to neutralize unwanted organisms in the ballast water of ships. The patent covers the use of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as a biocide for the treatment of ballast water, and discloses the design of a treatment system that automatically controls the concentration of the chlorine dioxide in the ballast tanks.
According to Ecochlor President Tom Perlich, "This unique partnership (with Eka Chemicals) allows Ecochlor to rapidly supply systems and chemicals worldwide to safely and effectively treat ballast water." Ecochlor has developed proprietary ballast water treatment systems that have been specifically designed to safely and economically eliminate the worldwide transfer of aquatic invasive species. These foreign invaders pose severe environmental, economic and public health issues and are now a major international concern. For over a hundred years, oceangoing vessels have been designed to carry ballast water to facilitate stability and safe maneuverability. Since the 1970's, however, with the advent of larger, faster ships and the globalization of trade, the amount of ballast water being used and discharged around the world has increased dramatically.
International standards requiring the treatment of ballast water are currently being adopted, and in the U.S. a number of states have passed, or are in the process of passing, laws mandating the treatment of ballast water. Dr. Patrick Bryant, General Manager of Eka's Purate Business Segment, adds, "We are proud that Ecochlor has selected us to partner with them in this new market area. Chlorine dioxide has been used on land to safely treat wastewater and drinking water for 50 years. The combination of our intellectual property positions and Eka's worldwide supply make for a winning relationship for us and ship owners who will have to comply with international laws regulating the discharge of ballast water."
About Ecochlor
Ecochlor, founded in 2001, has developed a proprietary ballast water treatment system to provide a global solution to the transfer of aquatic invasive species. Ecochlor's system, the Ecopod Ballast Water Treatment System, has been patented in the U.S., and other patents are pending in the U.S. and internationally. Ecopod(TM) Systems provide the shipping industry with a cost effective, environmentally acceptable treatment system, which provides immediate compliance with all enacted and proposed standards and regulations. Ecochlor's in-house experts and team of strategic partners not only supply complete design and fabrication of the Ecopod(TM) Systems, but also marine engineering, naval architecture, chemical treatment expertise, shipboard installation and ongoing technical and regulatory certification support. Ecochlor is based in the United States with capabilities to install, service and support systems throughout the world. The company website is at www.ecochlor.com.
About Eka Chemicals
Eka Chemicals, formed in 1895 by Alfred Nobel -- for whom the Nobel Prize is named, is a leading international chemical company. Eka has worldwide sales of $1.0 billion dollars and over 3,000 employees. It's part of Akzo Nobel, which has international sales of $15 billion dollars and over 64,000 employees. Akzo Nobel has its headquarters in the Netherlands. The company website is at www.eka.com.
Eka's Purate ClO2 Technology Business Segment has developed innovative technologies and products specifically designed for water treatment needs and other disinfection/sterilization applications. Purate is a patented, proprietary blend of sodium chlorate and hydrogen peroxide used to feed into their patented SVP-Pure® generators for ClO2 production. Purate technology for ClO2 generation has received EPA registration for drinking water, municipal wastewater disinfection, and non- food industrial process water.
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