Armour Against Algae
US marine descaler innovator Seascour secures EPA Safer Choice and Green Marine certification.
Florida headquartered maritime firm Seascour is reinforcing its position as the most environmentally friendly descaler cleaner in the sector by securing two industry accreditations.
Seascour President Kelly Hendry confirmed the innovator has successfully passed a rigorous Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) audit to retain the Safer Choice certification for outdoor use. This means Seascour remains the only descaler to meet EPA’s additional safety criteria for products used outdoors. The EPA certification assures users Seascour contains safer ingredients to remove biofouling on heat exchangers, condensers, and water coolers on vessels of all kinds before being discharged into the sea, lakes, or rivers. With the EPA certification Seascour is further officially compliant with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for in-water cleaning.
In addition, Seascour has secured partner status with Green Marine, the international environmental certification program. Green Marine helps its members like shipyards, ports and ship owners to improve their environmental performance by working with trusted eco-friendly partners like Seascour.
Hendry, Principal Owner of the Gulf Marine shipyard in Tampa, notes that the descaler market is ripe for cleaning up and disruption.
“We’re delighted to secure these certifications and thank everyone involved in the process,” she says. “This sends a message to the maritime industry that there is a better way. The era of caustic chemical cleaners is coming to an end. Traditionally, equipment like heat exchangers were taken off the vessel, shipped out and hydro-blasted, cleaned with acids, neutralized, tested and put back in place.”
Hendry notes that aside from the environmental impact, the efficacy of these methods is usually 80-85%, whereas with Seascour you have a 90% or higher efficacy, enabling clean-in-place (CIP) operations whilst a vessel remains at sea. This in turn significantly reduces maintenance time, drydock dependency, and equipment degradation.
“With Seascour a two-day drydock can be replaced by a three-hour flush at sea. That’s not just an environmental gain, it’s a financial game-changer. Seascour is proving you do not have to sacrifice performance to protect the planet, or your vessel.”
Hendry also warns against traditional descalers which contribute to algal blooms by releasing chemicals like hydrochloric and phosphoric acid. This is particularly a problem in recreational marinas where boaters often flush inorganic descalers directly into the water.
“These blooms are a massive problem across the US and the world,” she says. “They deplete oxygen levels, disrupt marine ecosystems, threaten aquatic life, and have led to harbors being closed. Seascour does not contribute to algal blooms due to being organic.”
Hendry says notable milestones in the last year include seeing Seascour used successfully on a wide range of merchant vessels across the US. She further pointed to extensive testing on a wide variety of vessels in the US Navy, US Coast Guard and NOAA research ships.
“Seascour represents our commitment to sustainable solutions and increases our footprint in the green marine space,” she notes.
For more information visit seascour.com