The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. The major objective of NIOT is to develop reliable indigenous technology to solve the various engineering problems associated with sustainable harvesting of both living and non-living resources in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India.NIOT has Sea Front Facility in Pamanji & Vagurru villages, Tirupathi District, Andhra Pradesh, and also has a field centre at Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

NIOT, has established a land-based Ballast Water Treatment Technologies - Test Facility (BWTT-TF) in NIOT Sea Front Site at Pamanji & Vagarru villages in Tirupathi District of Andhra Pradesh. This facility is designed to ensure compliance with international regulations of the Ballast Water Convention 2004 for testing and validation of Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS) as per D2-discharge regulations of International Maritime Organization (IMO) for basic, type, final approval and also, revalidation of already approved BWTS. The facility also provides innovative solutions for development and testing of ballast water treatment technologies, thus contributing to the reduction of invasive aquatic species and enhancing global marine biodiversity.

BALLAST WATER TREATMENT TEST FACILITY  

The BWTT-TF facility include afeed tank with a volume of 610 m3, a test and control tank with a volume of 280 m3. The tanks are constructed with reinforced cement concrete to prevent the influence of external environment. The internal coatings inside the tanks are as recommended by IMO guidelines. There are 6 high-capacity variable speed, specialized ballast water pumps with a minimum flow rate of 200 m3/h as per IMO guidelines. The facility has provision to receive a skid/container mounted BWTS for basic /final / type approval. The facility is accredited by ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

STANDARD ORGANISM CULTURE FACILITY 

As per the IMO G8, D2 guidelines the input water shall have two size groups of natural assemblage of marine living organisms (greater than 10 µm to less than or equal to 50 µm -106/L) and (greater than 50 µm - 105/m3) of at least 5 species from 3 different phyla /divisions of each size group. If the natural assemblage in the source water is below the required density level than the G8 D2 guidelines, IMO suggest using of standard test organism. To meet the requirements of IMO, NIOT has also developed a start of art standard test organism culture facility to simultaneously culture the 5 different species of organism of both size groups to the required quantity. 


SEAWATER INTAKE SYSTEM

A 150 long trestle-based seawater intake system for drawing raw seawater with natural assemblage of marine organism from a charted depth of 3.0 m in Bay of Bengal to feed the feeder tank of 610 m3 to supply and test and control tank of 225 m3 capacity.

BALLAST WATER TREATMENT TEST FACILITY

• The NIOT BWTT-TF is the only test facility in tropical region strategic situated in east coast of India amidst sea, estuary and river.

• The facility has provision to access raw 35 ppt sea water from the Bay of Bengal, 15 ppt brackish water from Swarnamugi River Estuary, and 2 ppt fresh water from Buckingham canal.

• The facility has state of art surrogate rearing facility to raise simultaneously 5 species of test organism of both size group.

• The facility is equipped with sophisticated NABL accredited state of art laboratory facility at site, NIOT Chittedu and Chennai campusto analysis all physicochemical and biological parameters of inlet and out let water.

• The environmental baseline studies namely physico-chemical, plankton, microbiological parameters, trace metals, benthos were continuously monitored in Pamanji coast and Swarnamukhi estuary from 2015.

• Phytoplankton(size group of >10 - ≤50 µm) Oscillatoria sp., Tetraselmis sp., Gymnodinium sp., Pleurosigma sp., Navicula sp., Cylindrotheca sp., are cultured at high density for using as surrogate.

• Zooplankton of size group of >50 µm Pseudodiaptomus annandalei, Apocyclops dengizicus, Brachionus plicatilis and Onychocamptus bengalensis are being cultured at high density for using as surrogate.

TEST FACILITY LOCATION AND ADDRESS:

The land-based BWTT-TF is located at NIOT seafront facility, north of Chennai at Pamanji & Vagarru villages – 524411,Vakadu Mandal, Near Tupilipalem, Thirupathi District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The facility is about 150 km from Chennai and is well connected by, road, railways and shipways. 

FOR ENQUIRY PLEASE CONTACT

The Director
National Institute of Ocean Technology 
Velachery – Tambaram Main Road
Pallikarnai, Chennai – 600100, India
Phone: +91 44 6678 3303/3304
Email: director@niot.res.in
Website: www.niot.res.in