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Transcript of Ballast Water Treatment
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
TECHNOLOGIESMany ways
to meetthe rules
US RULESContemporary
measures in place
REGULATIONSA convention
in limbo
PRACTICALWeighing
up the pros and cons
G9 SYSTEMSMaking use
of active substances
• A guide to regulation and technology •
ShipInsight• CRITICAL INFORMATION ON MARITIME TECHNOLOGY AND REGULATION •
AP
RIL
20
14
SPONSORED BY
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
XX caption
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
ii | APRIL 2014
Fortunately, large vessel owners do Fortunately, large vessel owners do Fortunately, large
have an efficient, non-chemical treatment option.One with a low and consistent power draw, and compact footprint.
trojanmarinex.comtrojanmarinex.com
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 3
MalcolmLatarche
| INTRODUCTION
A YEAR HAS PASSED since the first issue of this guide and despite attempts by the IMO to try and establish a new timetable aimed at encouraging reluctant states to add their signatures to the Ballast Water Convention
it still remains in limbo. Exactly when it will finally gather the requisite number of signatures is purely a matter of conjecture. It could happen any day if Panama deigns to sign or it could remain tantalisingly close for months or years to come.
In the US, which has decided to go its own way, ballast water treatment is now already regulated and makers of systems are finally beginning to see their patience paid off with orders beginning to trickle in. However, even here things are not quite progressing to plan and while some systems are recognised under a temporary measure, no system has as yet been granted full approval by the US authorities.
For owners and operators confusion reigns and with so many uncertainties involved, only a few brave pioneers are committing to having systems installed on newbuildings and very few owners have yet begun putting in place a programme of retrofitting their existing fleets. Even so, new makers are joining the fray and the number of available systems both approved and in the process of obtaining approval is increasing at a steady rate.
This guide has been expanded to cover the new systems being developed alongside those that are already in place. We trust it will help operators navigate their way through the regulations and practicalities and show the wide range of options they have to chose from.
Malcolm Latarche
Fortunately, large vessel owners do Fortunately, large vessel owners do Fortunately, large
have an efficient, non-chemical treatment option.One with a low and consistent power draw, and compact footprint.
trojanmarinex.comtrojanmarinex.com
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
4 | APRIL 2014
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
Editor: Malcolm Latarche
Head of Design: Chris Caldwell
Layout & Production: Steven Price
Advertising Sales: [email protected]
Address: ShipInsight, 12 - 14 Bridge Steet
Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8BZ, UK
www.shipinsight.com
This guide is produced by ShipInsight Ltd.
Care is taken to ensure the information it contains is accurate
and up to date. However ShipInsight Ltd accepts
noresponsibility or inaccuracies in, or changes to, such
information. No part of this publication may be produced in
any form or by means including photocopying or recording,
without the permission of ShipInsight Ltd.
Register at shipinsight.com
to receive the next free guide.
ShipInsight
06 | CHAPTER 1 - IMO Regulation
A convention in limbo
16 | CHAPTER 2 - US Rules
Contemporary measures in place
24 | CHAPTER 3 - Technologies
Many ways to meet the rules
34 | CHAPTER 4 - RWO
Making the right choice
40 | CHAPTER 5 - Practical Considerations
Weighing up the pros and cons
50 | CHAPTER 6 - G8 Systems
All the systems described
70 | CHAPTER 7 – G9 Systems
Making use of active substances
CONTENTS
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
pic caption
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
APRIL 2014 | 5 FEBRUARY 2014 | 3
SHIPINSIGHT.COM | GUIDE
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
6 | APRIL 2014
ALMOST EVERY OFFICIAL and unofficial text on the
subject of ballast water begins by detailing the vast
quantity of the stuff that is carried on board ships every
year. The figures quoted may well be correct but they
can only ever be an estimate because the exact amount will depend
upon the amount of time ships spend in a ballast condition.
Slow steaming and higher tonne/mile usage of ships will tend
to reduce the amount carried in any given year. Another factor
that is sometimes overlooked is that ships sailing between ports
in the same geographical region are not really transporting alien
species as the local ecology at different ports in the region is likely
to be identical.
Water ballast has been in use on ships for more than 200
years ago, but it was not until the 1982 UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that control of species transfer became
a topic of international concern. Some ten years later, the 1992
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED) requested the International Maritime Organization
(IMO) to consider the adoption of appropriate rules on ballast
water discharge. The ballast water treatment convention was to
be a further 12 years under discussion before its final Adoption
in February 2004. Adoption did not mean that the convention
automatically came into force; for that to happen there has to
| CHAPTER 1: IMO REGULATIONS
Invasive species inthe Great Lakes
APRIL 2014 | 7
NOT UNTIL THE 1982 UN CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA (UNCLOS) THAT CONTROL OF SPECIES TRANSFER BECAME A TOPIC OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN.
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
be ratification by at least 30 states representing 35% of the world
merchant shipping fleet by gross tonnage.
As of February 2014, the required number of states had been
reached with 38 signatories but the percentage of the world fleet
covered was 30.8% and therefore an almost 5% shortfall. The fact
that only two nations representing just over 1% of the world fleet
had been added throughout 2013 highlights the difficulty the IMO is
facing in getting it ratified.
Panama, Japan and many European nations have not so far
ratified the convention and neither has the US although it has
introduced its own federal regulation very similar to that of the
IMO Convention. The US regulation has meant that the potential
for individual states in the union introducing their own local laws
has been averted but all vessels intending to trade to the US will
now have to fit a treatment system even though the requirement
does not yet exist in most other parts of the world. The differences
between US and IMO regulations are explained later.
Although it is generally accepted that the requirements of the
convention will eventually become standard practice, parties to it
are given the right to take, individually or jointly with others ‘more
stringent measures with respect to the prevention, reduction
or elimination of the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and
pathogens through the control and management of ships’ ballast
water and sediments, consistent with international law’. However,
this has been tempered by adding a clause saying that ‘Parties
should ensure that ballast water management practices do not
cause greater harm than they prevent to their environment, human
health, property or resources, or those of other States’.
The Convention – which applies only to ships of 400GT
and above which carry ballast water – allows for two means of
meeting the requirements and these are contained in Section D –
Standards of Ballast Water Management. The methods are Ballast
Water Exchange (Regulation D-1) or Ballast Water Management
(Regulation D-2); with the latter requiring some form of treatment
system. The convention has detailed requirements for both
methods.
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
8 | APRIL 2014
Regulation D-1 Ballast Water Exchange Standard
Ships performing Ballast Water exchange shall do so with an
efficiency of 95% volumetric exchange of Ballast Water. For ships
exchanging ballast water by the pumping-through method,
pumping through three times the volume of each ballast water
tank shall be considered to meet the standard described.
Pumping through less than three times the volume may be
accepted provided the ship can demonstrate that at least 95%
volumetric exchange is met.
Regulation D-2 Ballast Water Performance Standard
Ships conducting ballast water management shall discharge less
than 10 viable organisms per cubic metre greater than or equal to
50 micrometres in minimum dimension and less than 10 viable
organisms per millilitre less than 50 micrometres in minimum
dimension and greater than or equal to 10 micrometres in
minimum dimension; and discharge of the indicator microbes
shall not exceed the specified concentrations.
The indicator microbes, as a human health standard, include, but
are not be limited to:
A. Toxicogenic Vibrio cholerae (O1 andO139) with less than
1 colony forming unit (cfu) per 100 millilitres or less than 1
cfu per 1 gram (wet weight) zooplankton samples ;
B. Escherichia coli less than 250 cfu per 100 millilitres;
C. Intestinal Enterococci less than 100 cfu per 100 millilitres.
Ballast Water Exchange method was conceived as an interim
measure that would be allowed only to existing ships with ballast
capacities up to and including 5,000m3 built before 2009 and for
vessels with ballast capacities over 5,000 m3 built before 2012.
Those ships allowed to perform ballast exchange as a means of
compliance would be permitted to do so only for a limited period
depending upon construction date and ballast capacity. By 2017
the permission will expire for all vessels and only ballast water
management will be permitted.
Under Regulation B-4 (Ballast Water Exchange) of the
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 9
IMO REGULATIONS
convention, all ships using ballast water exchange should:
• whenever possible, conduct ballast water exchange at least 200
nautical miles from the nearest land and in water at least 200
metres in depth, taking into account Guidelines developed by IMO;
in cases where the ship is unable to conduct ballast water
exchange as above, this should be as far from the nearest land as
possible, and in all cases at least 50 nautical miles from the nearest
land and in water at least 200 metres in depth.
When these requirements cannot be met areas may be
designated where ships can conduct ballast water exchange.
All ships shall remove and dispose of sediments from spaces
designated to carry ballast water in accordance with the provisions
of the ships’ ballast water management plan (Regulation B-4).
As well as being contained in the convention, ballast water
exchange has also been made mandatory under local regulations in
many parts of the world as governments saw it as an interim way of
tackling the issue of invasive species and disease control. Reasons
why ballast water exchange was considered only a temporary
measure include doubts as to its effectiveness in removing all viable
organisms from ships’ ballast tanks and also concerns over safety.
The latter reason was starkly highlighted in July 2006 when the car
carrier Cougar Ace almost capsized following a problem during
ballast exchange. Salvage of the vessel was eventually achieved but
only after the tragic death of one of the salvage surveyors. Several
other less serious incidents have also been reported over time.
STRETCHING TIME – THE SHIFTING TIMETABLE
When the IMO Convention was adopted in 2004, treatment
systems were in their infancy although much time and money
was being spent in their development. Consequently, the first date
requiring some ships to be equipped with a ballast water treatment
system was set for 2009 in anticipation of the requisite ratifications
being achieved before that date.
The IMO BWMConvention 2004
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
10 | APRIL 2014
From the table it is clear that, at this point in time (January
2013), at least three categories of ships would be restricted to the
D2 process and should have a ballast treatment system on board.
However, since the convention has still to be ratified, no ship can be
considered non-compliant if the owner has chosen not to install a
ballast treatment system so far.
As the first deadline was reached in 2009 and it was clear that
the required signatures had not been gathered, the IMO agreed to a
one year extension for newbuildings and until late in 2012 had stuck
rigidly to that position.
At the 64th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection
Committee (MEPC) held in October 2012 and generally referred
to as MEPC64, the IMO finally accepted industry arguments that
the timetable had become unworkable. As a result it was agreed
that a Correspondence Group headed by Japan would be set
up to examine what options there are for implementation of the
Convention for existing ships.
The biggest problem facing the IMO is that under the rules
governing conventions, texts cannot be changed between
adoption and coming into force dates. As a consequence, the
timetable cannot be further amended and in attempt to address
this and to encourage more states to add their signatures it was
decided at MEPC 65 in May 2013 that when the convention
finally comes into force, a relaxed installation regime would be
COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE
BALLAST WATER CONVENTION 2004 COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE(APPLIES ONLY TO VESSELS 400GT AND ABOVE THAT CARRY BALLAST)
BALLAST CAPACITY (M3)
VESSEL BUILD DATE
EARLIEST OF FIRST INTERIM RENEWAL SURVEY ANNIVERSARY OF DELIVERY AS BELOW
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
UP TO 1,500M3<2009 D1 OR D2 D2
>2009 D2
>1,500M3 TO 5,000M3<2009 D1 OR D2 D2
>2009 D2
>5,000M3<2012 D1 OR D2 D2
>2012 D2
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 11
THE PROPOSAL HAS BEEN GIVEN A LESS THAN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION BY INDUSTRY BODIES REPRESENTING SHIP OWNERS AND OPERATORS.
IMO REGULATIONS
recommended. Although on the face of it this would seem to
be a workable proposal it does not alter the fact that it is only a
recommendation and individual states would not be obliged to
implement the new timetable.
Under the revised schedule most ships constructed before the
entry into force of the convention will be required comply by the
time the first renewal survey after the conventions into force. The
proposal clarifies that the term renewal survey refers to the IOPP
Certificate required under MARPOL Annex 1 and not any certificate
relating to the ballast water system itself. This would have the effect
of spreading the installation program over a period of five years
from when the convention comes into force.
Not surprisingly the proposal has been given a less than
enthusiastic reception by industry bodies representing ship owners
and operators. The International Chamber of Shipping has gone
as far as calling upon governments not to ratify the convention
until problems surrounding type approval and port state control
inspections have been resolved.
THE APPROVAL PROCESS
The continued delay in implementing the schedule is wholly a result
of the convention not having been ratified by sufficient states rather
than insufficient treatment systems having become commercially
available. To date, more than 30 systems have been given final type
approval and many more are in the process of testing. However, the
delay has been useful in that certain problems have been identified
with some approved systems and technologies and that has lead to
calls for a tightening up of the whole approval process.
To become type approved, systems have to undergo a series of
shore-based tests followed by a further testing period onboard a
ship under normal operational conditions. In addition, systems that
use an ‘active substance’ as part of the treatment process must also
have that substance approved by the IMO.
Approving an active substance is a two step process with Basic
Approval followed by Final Approval. The Basic Approval is based
upon data supplied by the manufacturer to the IMO following
12 | APRIL 201412 | APRIL 2014
SOME SYSTEMS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TYPE APPROVAL HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME DIFFICULTIES WHEN INSTALLED ON SHIPS OPERATING IN DIFFERENT REGIONS.
IMO REGULATIONS
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
laboratory testing. Final Approval requires the substance to be tested
under full-scale operation on the system test bed.
What constitutes an active substance has been the subject of
much debate. In the early days of system development, some
systems that made use of UltraViolet (UV) irradiation of the ballast
water were considered to be making use of an active substance as
the UV process produces short-lived hydroxyl radicals in the ballast
water. Later, following some challenges to individual governments,
this was changed. As a result some systems employing UV have
active substance approval and others do not.
Full details of the procedures for testing and performance
standards are laid out in IMO guidelines to the Convention. The
process for systems not making use of an active substance is set out
in G8 and for those that do, the relevant process is G9. These terms
will frequently be met when looking through system literature from
manufacturers.
It is fair to say that some systems that have been given type
approval have experienced some difficulties when installed on
ships operating in different regions or circumstances to those
prevailing when the system underwent onboard testing. This has
been recognised at the IMO and work is underway to improve the
guidelines for testing set out in the IMO circular BWM.2/Circ.28.
The IMO has also determined that the type approval certificates for
systems should include more information on operational limitations.
In addition the IMO has asked for case studies where treatment
systems are not working properly and the fault is attributable to the
technology employed rather than poor installation or incorrect usage.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONVENTION
As with most regulation, the core elements are supplemented
by further requirements and the Ballast water Convention is
no different in this regard. There are further requirements for
shipowners, port states and flag states.
For shipowners this entails drawing up a ship-specific ballast
water management plan for vessels engaged in international
trade and all ships subject to the convention will also have to
APRIL 2014 | 13 APRIL 2014 | 13
THE PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
14 | APRIL 2014
carry a Ballast Water Record Book and an international ballast
water management certificate. Many of the systems developed to
treat ballast water make use of electronic logging of ballast water
operations and the data recorded will in many cases be used as
either the basis for the entries in the record book or as a substitute
for it. The exact requirements will be determined by flag states.
Under Article 5 of the convention, signatory states undertake to
ensure that ports and terminals where cleaning or repair of ballast
tanks occurs, have adequate reception facilities for the reception of
sediments. There is no mention of who is responsible for the cost of
such facilities but if similar arrangements apply as for oil waste and
garbage then it is likely that the charges will fall upon the shipowner
whenever they are used.
Under Article 13 Parties undertake, directly or through the IMO
and other international bodies, as appropriate, to aid other Parties
with technical assistance, co-operation and regional co-operation.
This should not affect shipowners but may find resistance from
system suppliers who have expended vast sums on research and
development and obtaining patents for some aspects of their
systems.
STUMBLING BLOCK
Article 6 which applies to states rather than shipowners, calls on
them individually or jointly to promote and facilitate scientific and
technical research on ballast water management; and monitor
the effects of ballast water management in waters under their
jurisdiction. Ships are required to be surveyed and certified under
Article 7 and may be inspected by port State control officers under
Article 9.
PSC Inspectors should verify that the ship has a valid certificate;
inspect the Ballast Water Record Book; and/or sample the ballast
water. If there are concerns, then a detailed inspection may be
carried out and “the Party carrying out the inspection shall take
such steps as will ensure that the ship shall not discharge Ballast
Water until it can do so without presenting a threat of harm to the
environment, human health, property or resources.” Under Article
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 15
MANY OF THE SYSTEMS DEVELOPED TO TREAT BALLAST WATER MAKE USE OF ELECTRONIC LOGGING OF BALLAST WATER OPERATIONS.
IMO REGULATIONS
12, there is a requirement upon PSC regimes not to unduly delay
vessels.
The issue of testing by PSC has provoked a lot of debate at
recent IMO meetings not least because there has been a divergence
in the testing standards for type approval of systems and the
standards likely to be used by PSC inspectors when the convention
comes into force. At the centre of the debate is how to ensure that
samples taken of ballast water are representative of all the ballast
contained in a ship’s tanks.
Many believe that this divergence and the problems it will
cause for operators are preventing some states from ratifying the
convention. Currently, the PSC testing procedures fall under the
auspices of the IMO’s Bulk Liquid and Gases (BLG) sub-committee.
However, something of a breakthrough was achieved at BLG17
in February 2013 when agreement was reached for a two-year
moratorium on PSC action against ships for non-compliance
with discharge standards providing the ship could prove that
its treatment system was being operated in full accord with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
Under the IMO restructuring of 2013, the BLG sub-committee
was dissolved and its work spread over other sub-committees.
The question of PSC testing will now be dealt with by a new
sub-committee - Implementation of IMO Instruments (III) which
will hold its first meeting in July 2014. Agenda Item 8 covers
‘Development of guidelines on port State control under the 2004
BWM Convention’.
16 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
16 | APRIL 2014
CONSIDERING THAT THE zebra mussel which has
colonised large areas of the Great Lakes and US and
Canadian waterways is often cast as the poster child of
the need to regulate ballast water discharge, some may
consider it a little ironic that the US has not ratified the IMO Ballast
Water Convention. However, the US has been extremely active in
regulating ballast water discharge both on a Federal and state level
and is currently the only nation requiring a ballast water treatment
system to be fitted to ships calling at its ports.
Legislation and guidelines in the shape of the Nonindigenous
Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 and the
National Invasive Species Act of 1996 have been in place in the
US for more than two decades. In addition, individual states have
at various times enacted, or have been preparing to enact, local
regulations that would have made trading to the US an operational
nightmare with different rules applying at ports all around the US
coast.
Against this background, the US has developed a set of
federal rules that apply to US-flagged vessels and foreign vessels
| CHAPTER 2: US RULES – FOLLOWING A DIFFERENT ROUTE
The highly invasive zebra mussel
APRIL 2014 | 17
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 17
Environmental threat?
THE US HAS BEEN EXTREMELY ACTIVE IN REGULATING BALLAST WATER DISCHARGE BOTH ON A FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL.
operating in US waters. There
has been much debate over
the development of these rules
not least because under the
initial proposals relatively benign
discharge standards similar to
those in the IMO convention would
have been replaced in 2016 with a
much harsher standard that would
have been completely out of reach
with current technology. The delay
in implementing the federal law
galvanised some states – notably
California and New York – to press
forward in formulating local laws.
In late 2011, the US legislature accepted arguments from
industry that a single federal regulation on ballast water was
preferable to a jigsaw of state regulations and approved The
Commercial Vessel Discharge Reform Act. This act amended
earlier laws and prohibited the Environmental protection Agency
from approving local state regulations.
The USCG was tasked with amending earlier proposed federal
requirements to take account of both environmental concerns
and the current state of technology. The USCG’s final rule was
published on March 23, 2012 in the Federal Register, and became
effective 90 days after publication, on June 21, 2012.
The delay in agreeing federal regulation meant that, just as
with the IMO plans, the initial deadlines for many vessels had
passed and would need to be rescheduled. It was also accepted
that independent scientific advice arrived at after evaluating
most of the systems commercially available declared the initial
more stringent phase two standards as impossible under current
technological limitations. Consequently these have been
indefinitely postponed but will be kept under review and could be
reintroduced or amended at some future date.
| CHAPTER 2: US RULES – FOLLOWING A DIFFERENT ROUTE
18 | APRIL 201418 | APRIL 2014
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
®
+1.724.218.7001 I [email protected] I www.hydemarine.com
footprint on the marketThe smallest
Hyde GUARDIAN Gold’s compact size and robust
design make it ideal for newbuilds and retrofits.
To learn more about how Hyde GUARDIAN Gold
is a perfect fit for your ship, contact us at
[email protected] or 1.724.218.7001.
I N T R O D U C I N G
US RULES
APRIL 2014 | 19 APRIL 2014 | 19
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®
+1.724.218.7001 I [email protected] I www.hydemarine.com
footprint on the marketThe smallest
Hyde GUARDIAN Gold’s compact size and robust
design make it ideal for newbuilds and retrofits.
To learn more about how Hyde GUARDIAN Gold
is a perfect fit for your ship, contact us at
[email protected] or 1.724.218.7001.
I N T R O D U C I N G
FIRST STEPS TO TREATMENT
In 2004 as the IMO Convention was adopted and while the debate
over discharge standards was getting underway, the US Coast
Guard established the STEP (Shipboard Technology Evaluation
Program) as a way of encouraging manufacturers to develop
ballast water treatment systems. As well as providing an alternative
for ships that did not want to carry out ballast water exchange
required by the existing US regulations, ballast water treatment
systems needed to prove that they could reach whatever
standards were eventually agreed upon.
To join STEP, treatment system developers were required to firstly
provide the USCG with details about their experimental systems
and then to prove their effectiveness under operational conditions
which meant that installation on board of a vessel was needed.
To encourage shipowners to provide the testing platforms for
systems, vessels that were accepted into STEP in the period when
discharge standards were being determined would be considered
as being compliant with any future regulations for the life of the
system or the life of the vessel which ever was shorter. Once
discharge standards were decided, vessels joining the program
would be granted equivalency status for a period of 10 years.
It is likely that STEP and the US’ unilateral regulatory approach
have been instrumental in the high level of system manufacture
and development in the US. At least four system manufacturers –
Ecochlor, NEI, Hyde and Severn Trent de Nora have taken part in
STEP and all have systems commercially available and approved.
USCG BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT
USCG BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME - PHASE 1 IMPLEMENTATION
SHIP BALLAST CAPACITY CONSTRUCTION DATE COMPLIANCE DATE EARLIEST OF FIRST INTERIM RENEWAL SURVEY
NEW SHIPS-ALLCAPABILITIES >DEC 1 2013 ON DELIVERY D1 OR D2 D2 >2009 D2
<1,500M3 <DEC 1 2013 FIRST DRY DOCKAFTER JAN 1 2016 >2009 D2
>1,500M3 TO 5,000M3 <DEC 1 2013 FIRST DRY DOCKAFTER JAN 1 2014 D1 OR D2 D2 >2012 D2
>5,000M3 <DEC 1 2013 FIRST DRY DOCKAFTER JAN 1 2016
US RULES
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
20 | APRIL 2014
GAINING US APPROVAL
The process for approving systems under the US rules is basically
similar to that of the IMO convention in that systems must
undergo both shore-based and onboard testing and any active
substances require approval.
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental
Technology Verification (ETV) Program published a final protocol
for verification of ballast water treatment systems in September
2010. This protocol was developed in collaboration between
EPA and the USCG. Under the protocol, EPA is responsible for
determining the shore-based process and the USCG for laying
down the on ship testing procedures. Full details of the testing
process can be found at the following website where they are
contained in a 156-page text. http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg522/
cg5224/docs/600r10146.pdf
Unfortunately for manufacturers of systems that have
gained approval under the IMO Convention procedures, the US
authorities are not prepared to accept equivalence. For ships
already fitted with a non-US approved system there are two
options available. The first involves the ship’s own system being
offered for approval and the second requires the manufacturer
to apply for blanket approval for all existing and future systems
installed by them.
If an owner opts for the first option, the approval will only
apply to the particular vessel on which it is installed and not to a
similar or identical system installed on a sister ship. The majority of
manufacturers with IMO type-approved systems have applied for
blanket approval as this makes their products less risky and more
attractive to customers planning to operate in US waters.
The systems that have been approved have been granted
Alternative Management System (AMS) status. AMS acceptance
by the USCG is a temporary designation given to a ballast
water treatment system approved by a foreign administration.
Vessel operators may use an AMS to manage their ballast water
discharges in lieu of ballast water exchange, while the treatment
system undergoes approval testing to USCG standards.
US RULES
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 21
THE MAJORITY OF MANUFACTURERS WITH IMO TYPE-APPROVED SYSTEMS HAVE APPLIED FOR BLANKET APPROVAL AS THIS MAKES THEIR PRODUCTS LESS RISKY.
Long Beach, California
An AMS may be used to meet the US ballast water treatment
requirements for up to five years after the ship’s ballast water
discharge standard compliance date specified in the final rule.
This five-year timeframe allows for the completion of required
land-based and shipboard testing.
The list of systems with AMS status is constantly changing and
therefore a list here would rapidly become out of date. The USCG
website includes a complete list of ballast water management
systems that have been accepted for use as an AMS. This can be
accessed at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg522/cg5224/bwm.asp.
OPTIONS AVAILABLE
During the period between now and the deadline for existing
ships laid down in the table above, all ships calling at US ports
and intending to discharge ballast water must either carry out
exchange or treatment, in addition to fouling and sediment
management. A third option is to use potable water (from the US
public water system) and in such case the ballast tanks need to
be cleaned and sediments removed beforehand. In the case of
an emergency or malfunction of the treatment system, the USCG
may allow the use of ballast water exchange as a contingency.
US RULES
22 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
22 | APRIL 2014
The new USCG regulations also contained some additional
requirements to the ship’s operation independent of the need to
install a treatment system. These requirements are summarised
below:
• Clean ballast tanks regularly to remove sediments.
• Rinse anchors and chains when the anchor is retrieved.
• Remove fouling from the hull, piping and tanks on a
regular basis.
• Maintain a BWM Plan that includes the above in addition to ballast
water management (no requirement that the BWM Plan must
be approved).
• Maintain records of ballast and fouling management.
• Submit a report form 24 hours before calling at a US port.
The issue of testing systems by PSC Inspectors has not created
the same problems that are besetting the IMO Convention.
This may be because the approving body for systems and PSC
inspections are one and the same under the US rules. The US has
taken the pragmatic decision that could so easily prove a model
for solving the IMO impasse.
Under the USCG rules, a ship that has been tested and where
the samples do not reach the required discharge standard will not
be prosecuted on that occasion so long as the shipowner can
prove that the system was operated at all times in accordance with
the rules and the system makers’ instructions. Obviously under
such circumstances, the owner will be expected to investigate in
conjunction with the manufacturer the reasons why the system
did not operate correctly.
In early 2014, a note of caution was sounded over the USCG’s
position when its co-authority the EPA announced that their
interpretation was only that an infringement could be treated as
a low priority enforcement case. This might mean that immunity
from prosecution could not be guaranteed.
US RULES
WÄRTSILÄ AQUARIUS® BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Unique offering of different technologies for all ship types, sizes and conditions
Type approved system complies with IMO Convention
Partnership program covering all stages from fleet evaluation to lifecycle support
Turnkey solutions
THE SMART WAY TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCEAND STOP MARINE INVASIONS
For environmental peace of mind Wärtsilä supply the widest range of marine technologies on earth, this includes a range of ballast water management solutions to help meet specific requirements of individual owners and their vessels. Our technologies use a simple two stage process involving filtration and a choice of either electro-chlorination (EC) or UV treatment. With our partnership program, we work in close co-operation with you on all stages of the project, and our turnkey solutions provide everything you need from the same place – from selection and configuration to engineering and supervision. Read more at www.wartsila.com
24 | APRIL 201424 | APRIL 201424 | APRIL 201424 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
24 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST BASICS
SHIPS HAVE BEEN making use of ballast in one form or
another for centuries. In the days of sail some form of solid
ballast – preferably one that could be sold when not
needed – was used but with the advent of iron and steel
ships where tank space in the hull could be used, the practice of
using sea or river water as ballast became feasible.
Ballast is essential in modern ships sailing in empty or part laden
condition as it allows the propeller to be submerged ensuring more
efficient use of the ship’s engine. Even when ships are in a loaded
condition, small amounts of ballast can be used to ensure optimum
trim improving fuel efficiency by as much as 5% if the conclusions
of developers of trim optimisation software are accurate.
Ballast is also used for other operational reasons on occasions
and in special circumstances. Examples include maintaining
optimum distances between loading and discharging apparatus,
altering the attitude of a ship to carry out repairs to the hull while
still afloat and carrying out similar actions to raise breaches of the
hull above the waterline after a collision or other cause of damage.
A typical ballast system consists of tanks located in the double
bottom or void spaces in a double hull or as wing tanks in bulk
carries. Pumps are used to move the water from the intakes to the
chosen ballast tanks although it is possible in many ships to take
| CHAPTER 3: TECHNOLOGIES
Hyde GUARDIANGold System
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 25 APRIL 2014 | 25 APRIL 2014 | 25 APRIL 2014 | 25 APRIL 2014 | 25
Trojan Marinex now typeapproved
ballast into the double bottom tanks by gravitating without using the
pumps. The tanks are fitted with a means of releasing air as they are
filled usually through pipes with a non-return valve to prevent water
ingress into the tanks from above.
Depending on ship size and type, the number of pumps may
vary, large vessels usually have two. The pumps can generally
handle all tanks but commonly one serves the tanks on the
starboard side and the other the port side tanks except in times of
need or breakdown.
Filtration of ballast water where no treatment system is fitted can
be quite rudimentary and it is not uncommon for ships to collect
a large quantity of sediment in the period between drydockings
or ballast tank cleaning. Sediment is undesirable as it reduces the
earning capacity of the ship and constant movement of larger
material can cause damage and wasting of the tanks.
On ships built without a treatment system, space requirements
for components of the ballast system are minimal. By contrast,
treatment systems can make quite large demands on the space
available in the machinery area. This may be less of an issue for
newbuildings than for existing ships as space can be reserved for a
treatment system even if one is not installed at the building stage.
It could be argued that all vessels that may have been affected by
the deadlines for newbuildings contained in the convention should
have been constructed with this in mind.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
Filters first
System developers have followed a variety of routes and chosen
a range of different technologies in designing systems. Many have
drawn on shore-based water treatment technology but there are
also some more novel solutions on offer – some have already been
granted type approval. Some more outlandish ideas were proposed
in the infancy of system design but these seem to have been
abandoned over time. Consequently those that are now approved
or going through the approval process are all likely to be candidates
for commercialisation.
| CHAPTER 3: TECHNOLOGIES
26 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
26 | APRIL 2014
Hitachi’s Clear Ballast
The system that first led the way in ballast water treatment is once again defining the cutting edge.
PureBallast 3.0 is the new generation of leading technology, improved with the knowledge only real-world experience provides. Though 50% smaller than its predecessors, it uses up to 60% less energy and handles flows of up to 6000 m3/h.
What remain the same are the type-approved performance and Alfa Laval’s full global backing.
Start taking the lead at www.alfalaval.com/pureballast3
Leadership redefined – introducing PureBallast 3.0
Space savings
50% Energy savings up to
60%
Backing worldwide
100%
A very small number of the systems now available or likely to
be so in the near future rely on a single means of achieving the
required standards. Most though make use of two or more methods
and although this would seem to indicate a larger and more
complex system that is not always the case.
The discharge standards of the IMO convention and the USCG
rule both contain limits on the number of viable organisms of
10 micrometres and above that may be present in the discharge
water. Particularly for the larger organisms of 50 micrometers and
above, filtration is a proven and reliable technique for removal.
It is not surprising therefore that three out of every four systems
commercially available or close to being marketable make use of
filtration as the first in a series of treatment.
The types of filters will vary by system but all have the added
advantage of also removing much of the inert sediment and so
removing the issues of the ship carrying extra weight and tank
damage referred to above. A small number of systems employ
hydrocyclone technology as the method of removing larger
solids. In these systems the water is pumped to a specially shaped
chamber where a vortex is induced by the flow. Sediment and some
organisms will be channelled away from the water which continues
on its way to the next treatment stage. In both instances three will
be a large amount of solids to be returned to the water. In a filtration
system this will be done by back flushing which is also essential to
prevent filter clogging and maintain the flow in the system. Where
no filtration or hydrocyclone is included in the system design,
owners may opt for installing one upstream of the system to reduce
sediment and enhance the treatment process. The decision may be
more difficult in a retrofit situation where space may be limited.
At least one system – Hitachi’s Clear Ballast – employs
coagulation treatment before filtration. Coagulation or flocculation
makes use of a solid substance around which organisms
congregate causing large flocs that can be removed by extremely
coarse filters. The Hitachi system uses a magnetic floculant
introduced into a tank and then removes the flocs with a magnetic
separator before the water moves to a second filtration stage.
TECHNOLOGIES
APRIL 2014 | 27
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APRIL 2014 | 27
XXTHE PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
The system that first led the way in ballast water treatment is once again defining the cutting edge.
PureBallast 3.0 is the new generation of leading technology, improved with the knowledge only real-world experience provides. Though 50% smaller than its predecessors, it uses up to 60% less energy and handles flows of up to 6000 m3/h.
What remain the same are the type-approved performance and Alfa Laval’s full global backing.
Start taking the lead at www.alfalaval.com/pureballast3
Leadership redefined – introducing PureBallast 3.0
Space savings
50% Energy savings up to
60%
Backing worldwide
100%
28 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
28 | APRIL 2014
THE VAST MAJORITY OF SYSTEMS MAKERS HAVE FOLLOWED THE G9 ROUTE.
DIVERGING PATHS
After any initial filtration, the next stage in any system is usually
targeted at making any living organisms unviable. There is an
important distinction to be made here between unviable and
killing, because the convention wording does not use the latter
term although US rules do. In practice of course it would require
lengthy laboratory tests on any living organisms discharged in
treated ballast to determine if they are viable or not, so most
systems are designed to kill. Most system makers term this stage as
disinfection which seems an appropriate choice. It is at this point
that the variety of technologies proliferates. Even so there are
many systems employing similar techniques or combinations of
treatments.
It is at this point where system makers, or more correctly the
administration under which they plan to obtain type approval,
need to decide if their product requires approval under the G8
or G9 (systems making use of an Active Substance) processes.
The IMO convention states that the decision on whether a ballast
water system makes use of Active Substances or not remains the
prerogative of the administration. If applying for US approval there is
no choice to be made.
The vast majority of systems makers have followed the G9
route. As at the last meeting of the IMO’s MEPC in 2012 no less
than 42 systems had received basic approval and 28 of those
had gone on to obtain final approval for the active substance. As
of October 2012, 21 of those had also been given type approval
(it should be noted that a small number of these have been
withdrawn by their makers for various reasons). By contrast there
were only eight type approved systems that had followed the
G8 route.
What constitutes an active substance is not always immediately
clear. Most would recognise that adding a chemical biocide would
fall into this category but so do some of the neutralising chemicals
used to remove chlorine produced by electrolysis. A fruit acid used
in the Alfa Laval PureBallast system for cleaning UV tubes was also
considered to require IMO approval under G9.
TECHNOLOGIES
APRIL 2014 | 29
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PRE-FILTRATION IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL FOR MOST UV SYSTEMS BECAUSE OTHERWISE THE SEDIMENT IN THE FLOW WOULD SEVERELY IMPEDE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE IRRADIATION PROCESS.
ULTRA VIOLET (UV)
Many systems employ UV radiation that can produce a short
lived chemical change in water composition and while some
administrations have determined this should fall under the G9
process, others have not. UV is regularly used in shore-based water
treatment and is considered effective. At certain wavelengths it
works by destroying cell walls and inducing changes in the DNA of
micro-organisms thus destroying them or rendering them unviable.
At other wavelengths UV can cause production of ozone to take
place. Ozone is a useful biocide in its own right.
A UV system employs several UV lamps in the water flow with
the exact number being determined by the planned flow rate of the
system. Pre-filtration is considered essential for most UV systems
because otherwise the sediment in the flow would severely impede
the efficiency of the irradiation process. Systems employing UV
will usually have a feature aimed at keeping the lamp glasses clean
and free from any scale or sediment build up for precisely the same
reason.
The UV irradiation process requires organisms to be exposed
sufficiently long enough for the breakdown of DNA to take place. If
the flow is too fast the system may not function correctly. However,
if the flow rate is restricted, lamps may overheat and fail. The layout
and placement of lamps in systems employing UV treatment
varies enormously but an owner should be able to expect that the
problems mention would have been considered at the design stage
and found acceptable during the type approval process.
Maintenance is generally restricted to replacement of failed
lamps and occasional cleaning. In shore systems where the flow
may be continual day after day, lamps are generally considered
to require annual replacement even if they appear visually to be
functioning properly because their ability to produce UV of the
requisite wavelength fades over time. In a ballast system that
operates only for a few hours at a time and at irregular intervals,
replacing the lamps will likely be a less regular operation.
Some UV systems have been considered to have problems in
meeting US rules because of the unviable v killed wordings of the
TECHNOLOGIES
30 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
IMO and US standards. In contrast to IMO legislation, the USCG
Ballast Water Discharge Standard defines treatment as effective
when no organisms survive the treatment process. This has been a
problem for UV-based systems which kill many organisms outright
but render others non-viable by making them unable to reproduce.
Recently the US authorities have appeared more willing to
accept a broader definition of effective treatment, since organisms
that cannot reproduce pose no threat to their host environment. A
team comprising representatives from the USCG, test institutes and
suppliers of UV-based ballast water treatment systems has been
appointed to evaluate the available testing procedures. Thus far the
results would appear to indicate that non-viability can be reliably
verified, which gives UV-based systems a better footing with regard
to USCG legislation.
OXIDATION
There are several system that employ oxidising substances including
chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ozone, peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide
or sodium hypochlorite. The oxidation mechanism consists of
electron transfer with organisms that destroys the cell wall structure.
When a stronger oxidant is used, the electrons are transferred to
the microorganism much faster, causing the microorganism to be
deactivated rapidly.
Long in use as a sterilisation method for land-based water
supplies and with a proven kill rate although considered ineffective
against some cyst forming organisms except at high dosages.
Systems making use of this method require dosing using liquid
or powder chemicals. Chlorination can also be achieved through
electro-chlorination and there are many systems available that use
this method.
Electro-chlorination is achieved by passing an electric current
through the ballast water with chlorine being produced by the
electrolytic reaction. This method is more effective in waters with a
high salt content and in cases where ballast is taken from a fresh or
brackish source may not be effective. In such cases the addition of
TECHNOLOGIES
APRIL 2014 | 31
THE OXIDATION MECHANISM CONSISTS OF ELECTRON TRANSFER WITH ORGANISMS THAT DESTROYS THE CELL WALL STRUCTURE.
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
brine into the ballast flow may be required. There is therefore a need
to carry supplies for operation in areas where different degrees of
water salinity may be encountered.
Chlorine dioxide is used in some systems and is considered by
many to be better for treating water of high turbidity. There are
several methods available to produce chlorine dioxide some of
which require the use of hazardous chemical reagents and others
which do not. In practice seafarers should not experience any more
problems in dealing with the reagents than they do with other
chemicals in use on board vessels.
Ozone is another oxidising biocide that is highly effective against
micro organisms and used in many water treatment processes. On
board ship it can be generated as a gas using an ozone generator
and bubbled through the ballast flow and as already mentioned,
UV light at some wave lengths can be used to produce ozone
directly in the ballast water itself. Ozone reacts with the ballast
water producing bromates which are highly effective at destroying
organisms unaffected by the ozone itself..
Peracetic acid reacts with water to for Hydrogen peroxide
which can also be used as an additive itself. These chemicals
are freely available but price can vary widely and of course the
required quantity will depend on the ballast capacity of the ship and
sufficient storage space will be required on board.
Ph values and temperature of the ballast water intake can affect
the efficiency and speed of the chemical reactions that take place
and system makers should be able to give guidance on this. Higher
temperatures mean more efficient treatment is possible. As an
example at a temperature of 15°C and a pH value of 7, five times
more peracetic acid is required to effectively deactivate pathogens
than at a pH value of 7 and a temperature of 35°C. Seawater has a
pH value of around 8 – 8.5 which also slows the reaction but again
system makers will have taken this into account when determining
dosing quantities.
Typically a system that makes use of any chemical biocide or
disinfectant will need to ensure that at discharge the ballast water
TECHNOLOGIES
32 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
does not retain any active substances that would have a detrimental
effect on local species. This will usually require the addition of a
neutralising additive that would also require approval under the G9
guidelines.
ELECTROLYSIS/ELECTROCATALYSIS
Has some similarity with electro-chlorination in that an electric
current is passed through the ballast water. However, these systems
do not rely on chlorine salts in the water or added to it to produce
chlorine but rely instead on the production of very short lived
hydroxyl radicals which also have the ability to destroy cellular
structures.
In some systems a catalyst that speeds the reaction and makes
it more efficient may also be present. The catalyst may either be
attached to the surface of the electrode or even the electrode itself.
In all systems where an electric current is passed through the
water certain gases – notably hydrogen and perhaps chlorine –
will be formed as by-products of the disinfectant or treatment
process. The quantity of such gases may be small but since they are
considered hazardous there will need to be some form of venting
system in place so that they can be removed from the vessel.
CAVITATION/ULTRASOUND
Systems employing cavitation do not rely on it as the sole treatment
method but as a means of making subsequent treatments more
effective. Cavitation can be induced by injection of gases or
liquids or by altering the shape of the ballast piping over an area
of the flow. The forces caused by the cavitation act on organisms
damaging or killing them depending upon their robustness.
Ultrasound may be used as another means of inflicting shock
damage to organisms and can be independently generated or
induced by the piping profile.
TECHNOLOGIES
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
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The NIOZ testing facility
HEAT
Systems that make use of the waste heat of the ship’s engines and
a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of the ballast water to
levels sufficient to kill organisms have been proposed. Most are
considered impractical in operation not least because the main
engine may not be running if ballasting/deballasting takes place
alongside the quay. High temperatures in ballast tanks may also
have a detrimental effect on some cargoes. However, heating
ballast to lower temperatures may improve the effectiveness of
some chemical treatments.
DEOXYGENATION
These systems function by removing oxygen from the ballast water
by venturi stripping or adding inert gases in sufficient quantities
to bring the oxygen content below that needed to support
life. Deoxygenation can be combined with another means of
disinfection or used on a stand-alone basis. On some tankers where
generation of inert gases is already carried out, the same equipment
may be able to be used for treating the ballast flow. Deoxygenation
is claimed to have a secondary benefit in that it will limit corrosion in
the ballast system.
TECHNOLOGIES
34 | APRIL 201434 | APRIL 201434 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
34 | APRIL 2014
| CHAPTER 4: MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
WITH SO MANY SYSTEMS available on the market,
making the right choice for the long term requires
more than a little thought before taking the plunge.
The following case study from the Canadian
operator Seaspan shows how one shipowner went about a
comprehensive appraisal before deciding on the RWO CleanBallast
system.
In 2009 Seaspan started planning for a new design for container
vessels, aiming for high efficiency ship operation and improved
operational performance. The result was the SAVER (Seaspan Action
on Vessel Energy Reduction) design of 10,000 TEU container
vessels. Taking into consideration the fact that the IMO Ballast
Convention was expected to come into force imminently it was
obvious to Seaspan that a methodical selection of a ballast water
treatment system would be necessary too. Ballast water treatment
is a bitter pill for shipowners to swallow because the only returns
on the significant capital costs are compliance with regulations and
environmental protection.
According to Seaspan, the final decision to opt for the RWO
CleanBallast technology with its in-depth filtration and advanced
electrochemical disinfection was a result of several factors. For
more than three years, we had evaluated and compared the
different technologies. Most systems are based on a mechanical
APRIL 2014 | 35 APRIL 2014 | 35 APRIL 2014 | 35
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CleanBallast System
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT IS A BITTER PILL FOR SHIPOWNERS TO SWALLOW.
separation and always a disinfection unit, consisting of UV
technology or electrochemical disinfection using chlorine or
hydroxyl-radicals. The pros and cons of both technologies are
known and extensively debated, and crucial for a decision were
doubts about the practicability, sustainability and cost efficacy of
systems based on UV disinfection alone, with standard filtration.
The main issues here were high power consumption, unclear
performance with shallow water, liability to vibrations, and the
question of longevity and upgradeability if and when needed.
In 2009 the CleanBallast system was presented to us in the
course of a workshop about ballast water treatment and the
changes that would bring regulatory developments to the maritime
world. The cleaning principle of the CleanBallast system is robust
and advanced at the same time, and was coupled with another
quality that many other systems are still waiting for – operational
experience.
In 2011 RWO had already installed more than 40 units on
board ships, so had gained valuable experience from start-ups
and operational performance. The company also offered us
contacts with the independent operators for a direct one-to-one
feedback on their experiences. To date, CleanBallast is one of the
most proven systems on the market, which finally resulted in its
certification as an Alternate Management System (AMS) by the US
Coast Guard in mid-April 2013.
The company is also very well established with its network all
over the world and as a customer one can benefit from various
references, including for example the history of a marine water and
wastewater treatment company that has been in the market for
more than 35 years.
The point of international regulations and certifications was a
critical one during the decision of selecting the right BWTS. Time
showed that the certificate issued by the IMO could not always
guarantee a reliable functionality on board, and several maritime
authorities started to issue their own certificates. In this regard
the USCG had begun to outline its own procedures as well, but
it became obvious that it would not be in time for the schedule
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
36 | APRIL 2014
CleanBallast by RWO
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
of our new ships. In mid-2012 the application documents for the
AMS approval of CleanBallast were submitted by RWO and the
company showed itself most confident of being among the first
ones to receive it. CleanBallast’s receipt of AMS acceptance by the
USCG showed us that we were completely on the right course in
choosing this product and the technology with electrochemical
disinfection. Finally, only two out of eight technologies certified as
AMS in the first group were UV systems.
In the course of negotiations with manufacturers in the final
round there was another factor that led us to the decision in favour
of RWO. The company was very open to our needs and plans and
a lot of work was invested by both sides to find the best solutions
for the SAVER vessels. A close collaboration at a high technological
level ensured the final system was adapted to the technological
necessities and conferred economic benefits to our side. RWO’s
focus was always on high quality in manufacturing, fitting perfectly
with our aim with the new SAVER design.
Looking back, the decision for CleanBallast was the result of
several factors. First of all, the technological concept was well-
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APRIL 2014 | 37
CLEANBALLAST’S RECEIPT OF AMS ACCEPTANCE BY THE USCG SHOWED US THAT WE WERE COMPLETELY ON THE RIGHT COURSE.
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
considered and tried and tested, something that cannot be said
about many other systems. The system is certified by all important
authorities now that the USCG presented the first group of AMS
certified systems.
CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
Seaspan’s reason for choosing the CleanBallast system highlight
some of the reasons that prudent owners will need to consider
beyond initial cost. Promises that systems will continue to be
supported are important but whether or not such promises
will be kept will likely depend upon the strength of the maker.
A manufacturer with an established global network and a
commitment to the marine industry through other products is likely
to be a better bet that some others that have no track record and
few other products to offer.
Also important is a commitment to continued improvement.
In this regard RWO can report that as part of the continuous
advancement of CleanBallast, it conducted a H2 risk assessment
together with DNV to assess the potential hydrogen production
under different circumstances.
The test scenarios were characterized to cover a wide range of
possible ballast and deballast situations up to the worst case that
includes differing water quality, abnormal filling scenarios, tank sizes
and designs. The test itself was carried out in full scale using a DNV-
classed car carrier at a South Korean shipyard.
Under the DNV survey several characteristics of CleanBallast
were tested, including:
• OPERATIONAL SAFETY – In the whole risk assessment, safety
was one of the main factors; thereby the prevention of system
failures during operation was in focus. Tests were carried out to
check the performance of CleanBallast with different water
qualities, accidental misuse and under extreme conditions. The
test arrangement also provided structures to assess exactly the
occurrence of hydrogen during the ballast processes.
38 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
38 | APRIL 2014
WE ARE PROUD THAT CLEANBALLAST HAS AGAIN PROVEN ITS TECHNOLOGICAL REFINEMENT AND MATURITY.
F u l l - S c a l e T y p e A p p r o v e d b y D N V
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MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
• FUNCTIONALITY – In particular, the usability of CleanBallast’s
user interface was put to the test to ensure an easy and accurate
operation. According to the test results no changes were
necessary.
Neither characteristic was a cause for any concern, according to
the DNV. Explicitly, the hydrogen issue was investigated thoroughly,
resulting in another confirmation for the security of the advanced
CleanBallast system in all respects of operational safety.
Besides these main issues, the compliance with regulations of
the classification and installation standards was evaluated. As a
result of this assessment CleanBallast can be installed on all DNV-
classified vessels.
In addition to RWO’s work with DNV, CleanBallast has also
been examined by surveyors of Lloyd’s Register. Besides the
above mentioned features, LR set its focus on the system itself. A
detailed examination of single components and processes inside
CleanBallast led to the result that the RWO system is allowed to be
installed on all LR-classified vessels.
Peter Wolf, Director Sales & Marketing at RWO commenting
on these results said ‘We are proud that CleanBallast has again
proven its technological refinement and maturity. As one of only
few systems with real operational experience it shows the value
of thought-through high-class design and engineering. With
CleanBallast on board, every shipowner can enjoy relaxed sleep at
night.’
APRIL 2014 | 39
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XXTHE PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
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MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
40 | APRIL 201440 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
40 | APRIL 2014
Ecochlor’s ES BWTS
WITH SUCH A WIDE choice of systems and
technologies there is almost certainly a system
available that could be fitted to any vessel affected
under the IMO Convention or the US regulations.
However, not every system is suitable for every ship and owners
must bear in mind several factors when looking for a system.
Which factors are most important will vary depending upon
the individual circumstances of both the owner and the ship. For
some owners, mere compliance with the rules will be sufficient
regardless of whether or not the system chosen is best matched to
his particular needs. For others, a much more considered approach
will be to look at the whole life cost of the system and its reliability.
Currently there are around 60 different systems either in
production or in the testing process. While there are tens of
thousands of ships that will require be retrofitted with a ballast
treatment system this programme will be complete within the
space of five to six years. Beyond that date only newbuildings will be
required to be fitted with systems. In a normal year this would only
amount to between 2,000 and 3,000 ships. Quite clearly this level
of work would not be sufficient to ensure the survival of all those
manufacturers that are currently positioning themselves for the
retrofit market.
| CHAPTER 5: PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
APRIL 2014 | 41 APRIL 2014 | 41
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 41
There will therefore likely be many failures, mergers and
consolidation that will need to take place once the initial rush is
over. This may not affect the owners of ships which have a limited
lifespan remaining but it could represent a major problem for the
owners of new ships. Particularly if those systems chosen have a
relatively high degree of sophistication. In such cases maintenance
spare parts and service assistance will not be guaranteed
necessitating the use of alternatives. It could well be that in some
cases where non-OEM spares are used the type approval and
therefore the legitimacy of the system could be compromised.
COST
As with any new equipment cost will feature high on the list
with upfront capital expenditure likely to be prominent for most
operators. Very few makers quote list prices so there is a large
degree of shopping around to be done. Fleet operators with
many vessels could well be able to negotiate deals for multi-ship
installations but factors such as ship type and ballast capacities may
mean that a single manufacturer does not have suitable systems for
all vessels in a fleet.
In the case of newbuildings, prices will tend to be relatively small
compared to the final ship price especially if the ship has been
designed with installation of a particular system in mind. In a retrofit
situation, the capital cost may be similar but installation costs higher
due to modifications needed to other systems in order to create
space for the treatment system.
Operating costs also have to be considered. Regardless of the
method of disinfectant all systems will require pumps just as they
always have. In newbuilds the pumps will be matched to the system
requirements from the outset. On existing ships it may be possible
to reuse the original ballast pumps to save some of the cost but if
the pumps cannot maintain the flow rate demanded by the new
system or are deficient in some other way they may have to be
replaced.
The opportunity to explore more efficient alternatives to old
pumps that will save running costs should not be overlooked.
42 | APRIL 201442 | APRIL 201442 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
42 | APRIL 2014
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
Optimized by nature
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Optimized Ballast Water Treatment SystemsThe basking shark’s filtration system has been optimized over thousands of years of evolution to create one of the marvels of the seas.
Optimized by technology: OceanSaver’s revolutionary Mark II BWT system is a high-performance ballast water treatment system with a small footprint, low energy consumption optimized for both retrofits and newbuilds.
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Mark II – Optimized by OceanSaver. Optimized for performance.
OPTIMIZED FOR
PERFORMANCE
VISIT US AT POSIDONIA 2014 · JUNE 2-6 · ATHENS GREECE · STAND 3.105 HALL 3
Blue-C
APRIL 2014 | 43 APRIL 2014 | 43 APRIL 2014 | 43
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 43
VERY FEW MAKERS QUOTE LIST PRICES SO THERE IS A LARGE DEGREE OF SHOPPING AROUND TO BE DONE.
Optimized by nature
Optimized by technology
Optimized Ballast Water Treatment SystemsThe basking shark’s filtration system has been optimized over thousands of years of evolution to create one of the marvels of the seas.
Optimized by technology: OceanSaver’s revolutionary Mark II BWT system is a high-performance ballast water treatment system with a small footprint, low energy consumption optimized for both retrofits and newbuilds.
Looking for shipping’s most effective, safe and cost-effective ballast water treatment system? Visit: www.oceansaver.com
Mark II – Optimized by OceanSaver. Optimized for performance.
OPTIMIZED FOR
PERFORMANCE
VISIT US AT POSIDONIA 2014 · JUNE 2-6 · ATHENS GREECE · STAND 3.105 HALL 3
Blue-C
Power costs are likely to be highest on systems that employ
electrolysis or related technologies. Considering that the systems
could well be operating alongside when the ship is relying on
harbour generators the power demand may need to be given a lot
of thought. Across the whole range of systems, the power required
to treat a ballast flow of 1,000m3/h varies from just a few kW to over
200kW. Most systems fall within a band from 50kW to 150kW.
For UV systems, the cost of replacement lamps may be a small
additional outlay over the life of the system and it is the cost of
power for the lamps that is likely to be the biggest running cost. The
costs of consumables for systems that use chemicals for treatment
and neutralisation on discharge are likely to be higher than any
power requirements those systems may have. In systems that
include a filtration step, replacement filter elements also have to be
factored in to cost calculations.
RISKS
Although ballast systems would not ordinarily appear to present
many risks, several of the various treatments available can
potentially cause problems if the system malfunctions. Systems
relying on electrolysis or electro-chlorination will produce hydrogen
and chlorine gases as part of the treatment process. Although
the systems are designed to safely deal with these gases some
very unusual circumstances might arise under which levels might
become elevated.
The type approval process should be robust enough to identify
such risks at the design stage and make provision to prevent a
problem arising under normal circumstances. Even so might be a
prudent measure for gas detection devices to be made available for
monitoring machinery spaces and for crew obliged to enter ballast
tanks or void spaces which might be affected by leaks from the
ballast tank.
Some ship types such as tankers may present problems of their
own but several manufacturers have recognised this and are
producing explosionproof versions of their systems. An owner
requiring an explosionproof system will find that there are
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
44 | APRIL 2014
OWNERS WILL NEED TO ENSURE THAT ONCE THE NEED ARISES THEY CAN ARRANGE TO HAVE A SYSTEM FITTED WITHIN THE TIMESPAN ALLOCATED TO VESSELS.
sufficient models available to be able to select from a number of
different technologies.
AREA OF OPERATION
There are two factors to be considered here; the need for a system
to be installed and the water qualities likely to be encountered.
There is little doubt that eventually all ships will be subject to ballast
water treatment regulations but presently the only major area with
a regulation in force is the US. Under the US rules both US-flagged
ships and foreign vessels trading in US waters built from the end of
2013 will need to be fitted with a ballast treatment system with older
vessels falling under the rules under a rolling programme over the
next two years.
From a practical point of view the salinity of the water taken for
ballast and its temperature may cause problems for some systems
particularly those making use of electrolysis or certain chemicals.
Ships trading world-wide may face such problems only rarely, but
for ships with a more confined operational range it is sensible to
ensure that the system is capable of functioning correctly under the
environmental conditions likely to be encountered.
INSTALLATION PROGRAMME
Each year of delay in the ratification process of the IMO Convention
has added thousands of vessels to the 60,000 or so that would
have been obliged to retrofit a treatment system. The US
implementation of its own regulations will see the owners of some
of that number biting the bullet immediately but many more will
hold out until the last possible moment.
Owners will need to ensure that once the need arises they can
arrange to have a system fitted within the timespan allocated to
vessels. Some system makers claim that their products can be
fitted in very short time spans but a prudent owner may do well to
consider planning an installation schedule sooner rather than later
because of the pressure on drydock or yard slots.
Even those system makers who claim a quick installation is
possible are often talking about a period of around 10 to 14 days.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 45
Such a time span is in excess of the
usual time needed for a periodic
dry docking, therefore it may not be
possible to install a system during
the time when a vessel will be out of
service. Some manufacturers have
said that initial work can be done by
riding squads. However all this may
well be true the men who would
make up such riding squads are most
likely to be needed to be working on
ships in dry dock. In consequence
the additional five years grace that
the IMO is proposing may not be
sufficient to ensure all ships are fitted
with systems in time to meet their individual deadlines.
CAPACITY
Not all systems are suited to every vessel type because of limitations
on rate of treatment. Large tankers and bulk carriers commonly take
ballast at rates in excess of 6,000m3 per hour and there are a limited
number of approved systems that can meet this requirement.
Installing multiple systems may be an answer and would provide
some degree of redundancy in the event of system failure. In retrofit
situations the issue of pressure drop also needs consideration.
SPACE
Space on board ships is normally at a premium and while it should
be relatively simple to design for the installation of ballast treatment
systems on newbuilds, there could be real problems in retrofit
situations. Some manufacturers have been very innovative is
limiting the space requirements of their systems and allowing for a
variety of configurations of component parts, in some instances it
is even possible to house the system on deck or at any convenient
location in the ship. Consequently footprints of systems with similar
capacities can vary enormously and for older and smaller vessels
Alfa Laval - Pure Ballast 3.0
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
46 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
46 | APRIL 2014
Coating compatibilitymust be checked
Your future BWT system
www.ballast-water-treatment.com
BIO SEABIO UV
Ultraviolet Solutionsby
Skid version for New Building project
Modular version for Retrofit project
shipinsight-2014.indd 1 20/03/14 18:44
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
can preclude some systems. Explosion proof versions of some
systems have been developed especially for extra flexibility of
location on tankers and gas carriers.
When calculating space for the system itself thought may need
to be given both to access for maintenance and storage space for
any chemicals used in the treatment process.
COATINGS
Not actually part of any treatment system but ballast tanks are
now required to be coated under IMO regulations. Concerns have
been raised over the potential for damage to be caused to tank
coatings by chemicals used in the treatment process. Surprisingly
little research has been carried out in to the possible extent of such
a problem but some system makers are now testing with different
types of coatings and can offer some reassurance to potential
buyers.
APRIL 2014 | 47 APRIL 2014 | 47
Your future BWT system
www.ballast-water-treatment.com
BIO SEABIO UV
Ultraviolet Solutionsby
Skid version for New Building project
Modular version for Retrofit project
shipinsight-2014.indd 1 20/03/14 18:44
48 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
48 | APRIL 2014
MAKER SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY PAGE WEBSITE G9 APPROVAL
TYPE APPROVAL
US AMS APPROVAL*
21 CENTURY ARA “FILT, PLASMA, UV” 108 WWW.21CSB.COM FINAL YES
ALFA LAVAL PUREBALLAST 2.0 “FILT, UV” 70 WWW.ALFALAVAL.COM FINAL YES B.M
ALFA LAVAL PUREBALLAST 3.0 “FILT, UV” 50 WWW.ALFALAVAL.COM N/R (G8) YES EXP’ JUNE 2014
AQUA ENGINEERING AQUASTAR “FILT, EL/ECL” 71 WWW.AQUAENG.KR FINAL YES B.M
AURAMARINE CRYSTALBALLAST “FILT, UV” 51 WWW.AURAMARINE.COM N/R (G8) YES B.M
BIO UV BIO-SEA “FILT, UV” 52 WWW.BIO-UV.COM N/R (G8) YES B.M
CATHELCO “FILT, UV” 53 WWW.CATHELCO.COM N/R (G8) NO
COLDHARBOUR MARINE GLD “ULT, DE-OXY” 54 WWW.COLDHARBOURMARINE.COM N/R (G8) NO
COSCO BLUE OCEAN SHIELD “CYC, FILT, UV” 56 WWW.COSCO.COM N/R (G8) YES B.M
DALIAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY DMU-OH “FILT, AO” 72 WWW.DLMU.EDU.CN BASIC NO
DESMI OCEAN GUARD OXYCLEAN “FILT, UV, OZ” 74 WWW.DESMIOCEANGUARD.COM FINAL YES “F,B,M”
DESMI OCEAN GUARD RAYCLEAN “FILT, UV” 56 WWW.DESMIOCEANGUARD.COM N/R (G8) NO
DOW CHEMICAL PACIFIC DOW PINNACLE “FILT, OZ” 75 WWW.DOW.COM NO NO
ECOCHLOR ES “FILT, CHL” 76 WWW.ECOCHLOR.COM FINAL YES B.M
ENVIROTECH BLUESEAS “FILT, EL/ECL” 77 WWW.BLUESEAS.COM BASIC NO
ENVIROTECH BLUEWORLD “FILT, CHL” 77 WWW.BLUESEAS.COM BASIC NO
ERMA FIRST ERMA FIRST BWTS “CYC, EL/ECL” 78 WWW.ERMAFIRST.COM FINAL YES B.M
EVOQUA WATER TECHNOLOGIES SEACURE “FILT, EL/ECL” 79 WWW.EVOQUA.COM FINAL YES
FERRATE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES FERRATE FERRATE 57 WWW.FERRATETREATMENT.COM N/R (G8) NO
GEA WESTFALIA SEPARATOR BALLASTMASTER ECOP “FILT, EL/ECL” 80 WWW.WESTFALIA-SEPARATOR.COM BASIC NO
GEA WESTFALIA SEPARATOR BALLASTMASTER ULTRAV “FILT, UV” 58 WWW.WESTFALIA-SEPARATOR.COM N/R (G8) YES B.M
HANLA IMS ECOGUARDIAN “FILT, EL/ECL” 81 WWW.HANLAIMS.COM FINAL NO
HEADWAY TECHNOLOGY OCEANGUARD “FILT, AO, ELCAT” 82 WWW.HEADWAYTECH.COM FINAL YES B.M
HI TECH MARINE SEASAFE-3 HEAT 58 WWW.HTMARINE.COM.AU N/R (G8) YES
HITACHI CLEARBALLAST “FILT, FLOC” 13 WWW.HITACHI.COM FINAL YES
HWASEUNG HS BALLAST EL/ECL 85 WWW.HSMA.COM BASIC NO
HYDE MARINE HYDE GUARDIAN / GOLD “FILT, UV” 59 WWW.HYDEMARINE.COM N/R (G8) YES B.M
HYUNDAI HI ECOBALLAST “FILT, UV” 85 WWW.HHI.CO.KR FINAL YES
HYUNDAI HI HIBALLAST “FILT, EL/ECL” 86 WWW.HHI.CO.KR FINAL YES B.M
JFE ENGINEERING BALLASTACE “FILT, CHL” 17 WWW.JFE-ENG.CO.JP FINAL YES B.M
JFE ENGINEERING NEOCHLOR MARINE “FILT, CHL” 88 WWW.JFE-ENG.CO.JP FINAL YES
JIANGSU NANJI MACHIINERY NIBALLAST “FILT, MEMB, D-OXY” 60 WWW.JSNJ.COM N/R (G8) YES “F,B,M”
JIUJIANG PMTR INSTITUTE OCEAN DOCTOR “FILT, UV, AO” 89 FINAL NO
KATAYAMA CHEMICAL SPO SYSTEM “FILT, CHEM, CAV” 89 WWW.KATAYAMA-CHEM.CO.JP BASIC NO
KATAYAMA CHEMICAL SKY SYSTEM “FILT, CHEM “ 90 WWW.KATAYAMA-CHEM.CO.JP FINAL NO
Ballast Water Treatment Systems status as at 9/4/2014
SYSTEM STATUS
APRIL 2014 | 49
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 49
KNUTSEN TECHNOLOGY KBAL “PRESSURE VACUUM, UV” 62 WWW.KNUTSENOAS.COM N/R (G8) YES B.M
KOREA TOP MARINE KTM “CAV, EL/ECL” 91 WWW.KTMARINE.CO.KR BASIC NO
KURARAY MICROFADE “FILT, CHL” 91 WWW.KURARAY.CO.JP FINAL YES B.M
KWANG SAN ENBALLAST “FILT, EL/ECL” 92 WWW.KWANGSAN.COM BASIC NO
KWANG SAN BIOVIOLET “FILT, UV” 62 WWW.KWANGSAN.COM N/R (G8) NO
MAHLE INDUSTRYOCEAN PROTECTION SYSTEM OPS
“FILT, UV” 63 WWW.MAHLE-INDUSTRY.COM N/R (G8) YES B.M
MH SYSTEMS DE-OXY 64 WWW.MHSYSTEMSCORP.COM N/R (G8) NO
MITSUI ENGINEERING FINEBALLAST OZ “FILT, OZ, CAV” 92 WWW.MES.CO.JP FINAL YES
MITSUI ENGINEERING FINEBALLAST MF MEMBRANE FILTER 64 WWW.MES.CO.JP N/R (G8) YES
MMC GREEN TECHNOLOGY MMC “FILT, UV” 65 WWW.MMCGT.NO N/R (G8) YES B.M
NEI TREATMENT SYSTEMS VOS “DE-OXY, CAV” 19 WWW.NEI-MARINE.COM N/R (G8) YES “F,B,M”
NUTECH O3/NK CO BLUEBALLAST OZ 94 WWW.NKCF.COM FINAL YES B.M
OCEANSAVER OCEANSAVER BWTS MKII “FILT, EL/ECL” 95 WWW.OCEANSAVER.COM FINAL YES B.M
OPTIMARIN OBS “FILT, UV” 66 WWW.OPTIMARIN.COM N/R (G8) YES B.M
PANASIA GLOEN-PATROL “FILT, UV” 96 WWW.GLOEN-PATROL.COM FINAL YES B.M
PANASIA GLOEN-SAVER “FILT, EL/ECL” 96 WWW.GLOEN-PATROL.COM BASIC NO
REDOX MARITIME TECHNOLOGIES REDOX “FILT, OZ, UV” 97 WWW.REDOXMARITIME.NO BASIC NO
RESOURCE BALLAST TECHNOLOGIES RBT “FILT, OZ, EL/ECL, CAV” 98 WWW.RESOURCE-TECHNOLOGY.COM FINAL YES
RWO CLEANBALLAST “FILT, EL/ECL” 98 WWW.RWO.DE FINAL YES B.M
SAMSUNG HI PURIMAR “FILT, EL/ECL” 100 WWW.SHI.SAMSUNG.COM FINAL YES B.M
SAMSUNG HI NEO-PURIMAR “FILT, EL/ECL” 101 WWW.SHI.SAMSUNG.COM FINAL NO
SEVERN TRENT DE NORA BALPURE “FILT, EL/ECL” 101 WWW.BALPURE.COM FINAL YES B.M
SHANGHAI CYECO ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
CYECO “FILT, UV” 67 WWW.CYECOMARINE.COM N/R (G8) YES
STX METALS SMARTBALLAST EL/ECL 102 WWW.STXMETAL.CO.KR FINAL NO B.M
SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SEI-BWMS “FILT, UV” 104 WWW.GLOBAL-SEI.COM NO NO
SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES EL 104 WWW.GLOBAL-SEI.COM NO NO
SUNBO INDUSTRIES BLUEZONE OZ 105 WWW.SUNBOIND.CO.KR BASIC NO
SUNRUI BALCLOR “FILT, EL/ECL” 105 WWW.SUNRUI.NET FINAL YES B.M
TECHCROSS ELECTRO-CLEEN EL/ECL 106 WWW.TECHCROSS.COM FINAL YES B.M
TROJAN MARINEX TROJAN MARINEX BWT “FILT, UV” 68 WWW.TROJANMARINEX.COM N/R (G8) YES
VAN OORD “FRESH WATER, CHL” 107 WWW.VANOORD.COM BASIC NO
WÄRTSILÄ AQUARIUS EC “FILT, EL/ECL” 107 WWW.WARTSILA.COM FINAL YES
WÄRTSILÄ AQUARIUS UV “FILT, UV” 69 WWW.WARTSILA.COM N/R (G8) YES “F,B,M”
* AMS APPROVAL ; F = APPROVED FOR USE IN FRESHWATER ; B = APPROVED FOR USE IN BRACKISH WATER; M = APPROVED FOR USE IN MARINE ; APPROVAL MAY ONLY APPLY TO SOME VERSIONS IN RANGE.
MAKER SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY PAGE WEBSITE G9 APPROVAL
TYPE APPROVAL
US AMS APPROVAL*
SYSTEM STATUS
50 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
50 | APRIL 2014
T HE NUMBER OF SYSTEMS that do not employ an active
substance and which can therefore follow the G8 route
to type approval is much less than those that do. In
this group the majority of systems make use of UV to
produce hydroxyl radicals which, being extremely short lived are
considered by the powers that be to not be active substances. The
UV systems are using what is essentially the same technology as
those that are approved as G9 systems. There are however, several
systems that do not use UV or any chemical substances and are
therefore properly included here.
1. ALFA LAVAL: PUREBALLAST 3.0
SUBSTANCE APPROVAL: n/r
TYPE APPROVED: Yes
CAPACITY: 125 – 3,000m3/h (can be increased using multiple
systems)
METHOD: Filtration and UV
DESMI Oceanguard Rayclean
| CHAPTER 6: G8 SYSTEMS
APRIL 2014 | 51
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 51
THE NEW UV REACTOR MODULE IS DESIGNED TO ENSURE MORE EXPOSURE OF ORGANISMS TO UV WITHOUT REDUCING THE BALLAST FLOW.
Based on the earlier PureBallast and PureBallast 2.0, this is the first
version to feature the new design UV module and offers space
savings of 50% and energy savings of up to 60% over previous
versions. Although PureBallast 3.0 uses the same core technology
as its predecessors, a new approval was necessary due to the
technology advances between versions 2.0 and 3.0. As with the 2.0
version, type-approval was granted under the G8 rules.
The new UV reactor module is designed to ensure more
exposure of organisms to UV without reducing the ballast flow.
The level of radiation is also more controllable and is now linked to
water conditions so that power savings can be made where water
is less turbid. Initially offered in 300m3/h and 1,000m3/h versions, a
new intermediate size 600m3/h reactor version became available
in February 2014. Further flexibility is provided by Bollfilter as a new
alternative to Hydac for the PureBallast 3.0 filter. Different versions
are available using combinations of UV reactor and filter size
2. AURAMARINE: CrystalBallast
SUBSTANCE APPROVAL – n/r
TYPE APPROVED – Yes
CAPACITY: 250 – 1,000m3/h
METHOD: Filtration and UV
The CrystalBallast system is installed on the pressure side of
the ballast pumps. The interface with the existing ballast water
arrangement is straightforward, with ballast water inlet and outlet
connections connecting the treatment system to the main ballast
piping. A small diameter backflush line leads overboard.
Due to its modular design and unobtrusive structure, it is possible
to install the system in a variety of spaces. The CrystalBallast system
is available in multiple filter sizes and two UV reactor sizes (75 and
250m3/h). Ships with larger capacities are fitted with parallel UV
reactors. Treatment takes place on intake and discharge but the filter
is not used during discharge.
The system’s Active Flow Control (AFC) keeps the flow within
the maximum rated treatment capacity of the system without the
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
52 | APRIL 2014
BIO SEA from France
need for manual intervention during ballasting or de-ballasting. The
AFC system also ensures adequate counter pressure for the filter
during cleaning cycles and controls the ballast water flow during UV
reactor heating periods. The flow data is logged in the memory of
the system control unit along with the UV treatment information.
3. Bio-UV: BIO SEA
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular and scalable from 75 – 2,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
This is the first system developed in France. The system first cleans
ballast water using a 40μm filtering element, in order to retain
suspended solids and zooplankton. The filter size will be dependent
on the system capacity according to the ballast pump flow rate.
BIO-UV offers a choice of two filter types both equipped with
automatic backflushing. There is no disruption of the filtration
process during the cleaning cycle, and no significant variation of the
treated flow rate.
Secondly, the UV stage of the treatment takes place in a reactor
with a single polychromatic, medium pressure, high intensity UV
lamp housed in a protective quartz sleeve. The lamp is driven by
electronic ballast, allowing precise management of the lamp in
order to optimise its regulation, reduce power consumption and
prolong lamp life. Sensors monitor and control the intensity of the
UV. Larger systems will feature more reactors installed in parallel
allowing for better tuning of the flow rate.
Treatment with UV also takes place at discharge but the filter
is by-passed during this operation. The system features a control
module with touch screen. Control can be exercised manually or
programmed for fully automatic treatment. BIO-SEA® system is
available in modular parts or container version for retrofits and on
skid version for new builds. BIO-SEA® benefits from a worldwide
sales and service network.
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 53
Checking on the Cathelco system
4. Cathelco: Cathelco
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – No (anticipated early 2014)
Capacity: Modular and scalable from 50 – 1,200m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
During uptake the sea water passes through the filtration unit
where the larger organisms and sediments are removed. At regular
intervals material is automatically back-flushed. Cathelco offers
a choice of two types of filters to remove larger organisms and
particles from the ballast water. The filter units are available in
capacities from 50m3/h to 1,200m3/h with 40μm screen mesh.
The water is sampled by the UVT sensor system before reaching
the UV chambers. The power to the lamps is automatically raised
or lowered according to the quality of the seawater. As the water
travels along the twin UV chambers in a ‘helix’, smaller organisms,
bacteria and pathogens are rendered harmless before the water
passes to the ballast tanks. The lamps are continuously monitored
by UV intensity sensors. These measure their performance and
indicate when refurbishment or replacement is necessary.
Cathelco has a unique cleaning system for the UV chambers.
When the cleaning cycle is automatically initiated, the UV chambers
are isolated from the rest of the system by valves. A separate pump
is activated enabling specialised foam balls to be introduced into the
reactor line from a reservoir. These hit the surface of the quartz UV
sleeve, gently polishing away any residue that may have collected as
well as cleaning the inside of the chamber. At the end of the cycle
the foam balls are automatically reclaimed, the cleaning system
is isolated and the main system is ready for the next ballast water
operation.
During ballast discharge the seawater bypasses the filter unit and
goes directly to the UV chambers where it is sterilised for a second
time. This avoids the risk of any contamination due to re-growth in
the ballast tanks.
G8 SYSTEMS
54 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
54 | APRIL 2014
Inert Gas based Ballast Water Treatment for Tankers
Marine & Offshore Fluid Handling Solutions
• No disruption to ballasting or de-ballasting
• No change to ballast pumps, pipes, or power generation
• Ideal for new build or retro fit
Email: [email protected]: +44 (0) 1629 888386
THE FIRST BWT SYSTEM TO BESUCCESSFULLY RETROFITTED TO A VLCC
The only in-tank, in-voyage BWT system
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5. Coldharbour Marine:
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – No
Capacity: Unlimited
Method: Ultrasound and De-oxygenation
This system is intended for use on tankers and is unique in that it
does not treat the ballast water during ballasting operations but in
the ballast tanks using inert gas produced by inert gas generators
(IGG). The IGGs required for the system can provide redundancy for
similar equipment already installed on board some tankers.
Treatment in the tank means that all conventional ballast
operations, including gravity operations, can continue according to
standard practice.
During the voyage, the output from the IGG is pumped (by
standard type marine compressors) to gas lift diffuser (GLD) units
in the ballast tanks where the full treatment takes place. The GLD
technology has no moving parts and as such is 100% reliable. It
uses natural fluid dynamics to both thoroughly stir the ballast tanks
and diffuse the inert gas into the ballast water. As the inert gas
diffuses into the ballast water through the GLD, oxygen is stripped
from the water whilst the elevated level of CO2 in the inert gas
temporarily reduces the pH level of the water. This simultaneously
induces hypoxia and a condition known as hypercapnia in marine
life. These conditions are fatal to both aerobic and anaerobic marine
organisms. To effectively kill the remaining organisms a patented
method of gas induced ultrasonic shockwaves are produced inside
the GLD.
A beneficial side effect of the treatment is that it also offers
shipowners significant savings in maintenance costs through a
substantial reduction in ballast tank corrosion. This is achieved
because the percolated reduced oxygen gas sits in the ullage space
within the tank thereby protecting the ballast tank and ensuring
a longer life for ballast tank coatings. The Coldharbour system is
capable of handling water with high levels of suspended solids.
G8 SYSTEMS
For Coldharbour big is easy
APRIL 2014 | 55
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
APRIL 2014 | 55
Inert Gas based Ballast Water Treatment for Tankers
Marine & Offshore Fluid Handling Solutions
• No disruption to ballasting or de-ballasting
• No change to ballast pumps, pipes, or power generation
• Ideal for new build or retro fit
Email: [email protected]: +44 (0) 1629 888386
THE FIRST BWT SYSTEM TO BESUCCESSFULLY RETROFITTED TO A VLCC
The only in-tank, in-voyage BWT system
CH Ship in Sight Ad A5 Apr14 aw:Layout 1 01/04/2014 09:25 Page 1
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BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
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THE UV UNIT EMPLOYS HIGH-OUTPUT, LOW-PRESSURE UV TO DESTROY ORGANISMS PRESENT IN THE BALLAST WATER.
6. COSCO: Blue Ocean Shield
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable to 2,000m3/h
Method: Cyclonic separation, Filtration and UV
The BOS system can run in different configurations depending
on the level of treatment required and the particular properties of
the ballast water, by employing filtration and UV and introducing a
hydrocyclone if required.
The system operates in-line during the uptake and discharge
of ballast water. Before UV treatment takes place, a filter system
reduces the sediment load of the ballast water, in addition to
removing some microorganisms. The filtration system is installed
on the discharge side of the ballast water pumps and employs
automatic backflushing.
The UV unit employs high-output, low-pressure UV to destroy
organisms present in the ballast water.
Ballast water is treated at intake and again at discharge.
7. Desmi Ocean Guard: Rayclean
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – No
Capacity: Modular 100 – 3,000m3/h
Method: Filtration, UV
This is a second generation system from Desmi Ocean Guard and
builds on experience gained with the Oxyclean system but s being
tracked through the G8 approval route.
In the Rayclean system Initial treatment is by filtration with
automatic back flushing followed by UV treatment. The UV
treatment takes place in units with a flow capacity of 300 m3/h.
Each UV unit is equipped with 60 highly efficient low-pressure UV
lamps. These lamps are roughly twice as energy efficient as the
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FERRATE IS CLAIMED AS AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL OXIDANT AND CAN DELIVER MULTIPLE TREATMENTS FROM A SINGLE APPLICATION.
widely used medium pressure UV lamps, and as they work at much
lower temperature they have superior lifetime and no issues with
regard to fouling.
Constant online monitoring of the UV intensity inside each unit is
used to dim the UV lamps in very clear water (high UV-Transmission)
in order to save energy, and to reduce the flow through the unit
in extremely unclear water (low UV-Transmission). This ensures
a carefully dosed UV treatment at all times even in extremely
challenging water conditions. RayClean is a fully automatic process
based on a PLC platform, which controls the valves, pumps, UV
sensor, flow meters, pressure-and temperature sensors.
RayClean can be started or stopped from the colour graphic
Touch Screen on the Master Control Panel which can be intregrated
in an existing control system on board the vessel. During ballast and
de-ballast operations the control system logs the operation data.
8. Ferrate Treatment Technologies: Ferrate
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – No
Capacity: up to 10,000m3/h
Method: Ferrate
The sole system making use of this technology. Ferrate is described
as a supercharged iron molecule in which iron is in the plus 6
oxidation state; it is better known as Iron (VI). Ferrate is claimed
as an extremely powerful oxidant and can deliver multiple
treatments from a single application. The maker says it does not
create disinfection by-products and is environmentally friendly.
The final product of Ferrate treatment is ferric hydroxide, Iron (III),
a non-toxic, environmentally benign compound. The liquid ferrate
is produced on board in a Ferrator using caustic, bleach and ferric
chloride. Ferrate Treatment Technologies say that active substance
approval is not needed. It is the US authorities have determined that
registration as a pesticide is not needed.
Capacity is said to be unlimited as treatment system easily scales
up and down based on flow rate being treated and dose. The
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GEA Westfalia UltraV
Ferrate system can be configured to fit inside a 40-ft ISO container.
Not yet IMO approved but a retrofit installation of a pilot system
in the cargo hold of a container ship was approved by ABS and
USCG. In 2013 the company established a Singapore-based
subsidiary to further develop the system
9. GEA Westfalia: BallastMaster UltraV
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 250 – 3,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
The second of two systems developed by GEA Westfalia Separator
(BallastMaster UltraV is a G9 system), the BallastMaster UltraV is a
two-stage system which combines mechanical pre-filtration with
subsequent disinfecting by UV-C. In this process, no chemicals are
used and no hazardous by-products are created.
In the first stage, a mechanical filtration process removes all
organisms and sedimentary particles larger than 20μm. This
prevents sedimentary deposits from accumulating in the ballast
water tanks. The filter module is cleaned automatically by vacuum
extraction in a self-cleaning process.
In the second stage, the pre-filtered ballast water is then
disinfected by UV-C radiation. The monochromaticUV-C radiation
(254 nm) eliminates organisms such as bacteria or phytoplankton.
Micro cavitation delivered by ultrasonic means guarantees that any
biofilms and nonorganic deposits in the UV-C tubes are cleaned off
efficiently and the lamps remain permanently clean.
The type approval issued by the German authorities was for a
250m3/h unit but multiple systems can be installed to handle high
volumes.
10. Hi Tech Marine: SeaSafe-3
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
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Capacity: up to 10,000m3/h
Method: Heat
The SeaSafe-3 System is an arrangement of one or more Plate
Heat Exchangers and a Proprietary Hold-Over Tank. It employs
Pasteurization to elevate the ballast water to a temperature above
the thermal-threshold of the target organisms. The System is
designed for each individual ship and is capable of processing
ballast water at flow rates up to and including 3,000 m³/hour.
The System is primarily designed to draw water from the bottom
of the ballast tank and return the disinfected water to the top of the
same ballast tank where it sits on the top of the untreated water by
the natural process of stratification. This was proven during several
sea-trials conducted onboard a small Australian Bulk Carrier in 1997.
The System is also able to supply disinfected replacement ballast
water for ships conducting mid-ocean exchange.
Water to be treated is pumped through a series of heat
exchangers into the water-heater circuit heat exchanger, raised to
the desired temperature for the required time, and then discharged
through the heat exchanger series after being cooled by pre-
heating the incoming water. Depending on the configuration of the
ship and the availability of the necessary amount of heat, the System
is able to process the ballast water during uptake, during the voyage
or during discharge or any combination of the three.
11. Hyde Marine: Hyde GUARDIAN/GUARDIAN Gold
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable and modular from 60 to 6,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
The Original Hyde GUARDIAN BWTS features a two-stage
process comprising a filter to remove sediment and larger
organisms, and a powerful medium pressure UV disinfection unit.
During ballasting, water is processed through both the filter and
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THE FILTRATION SYSTEM CAN BE DELIVERED IN SMALL MODULES TO BE CONFIGURED IN A VARIETY OF SHAPES TO FIT AVAILABLE SPACE.
PROVEN TECHNOLOGY www.desmioceanguard.com
NEWLowest energy consumption in class!
Ocean Guard A/S- ballast water treatment systems
Based on filtration and UV-treatment
No chemicals! No risk of increased corrosion! No hazards to crew, vessel or the environment!
Tested in both fresh-, brackish and marine water salinities
Tested according to both IMO and US Coast Guard requirements
Automatic adjustment of treatment to water quality
Tested in extreme water conditions with UV-Transmis-sion as low as 33%
Reliable treatment that meets the IMO and USCG discharge standards every time.
RayCleanYour Reliable Ballast Water Treatment Solution
UV stages. During de-ballasting, the filter is bypassed and water
flows only through the UV system before discharging overboard.
System and ballast operation data are automatically logged.
Hyde GUARDIAN Gold introduced in late 2013 is an improved
version with a footprint 50% smaller than the original and a number
of other advantages, including continuous and increased flow to
tanks during ballasting, ability to handle heavy organic and sediment
loading, and up to a 30% reduction in peak power consumption.
Both the filtration and UV components are designed specifically for
ballast water treatment.
Other new features include an advanced touch screen Operator
Interface and upgraded PLC controller with increased speed and
memory capacity, as well as expanded modes of one-touch
operation for tank stripping, gravity ballasting, internal transfer,
emergency ballasting, and maintenance. The UV reactor now has
level and moisture sensors for increased safety, as well as relocation
of the UV cooling valve to the top of the UV reactor chamber for
improved air removal.
With the smallest footprint on the market, the flexible and
modular design of the new system allows for installation in even
the most crowded machinery spaces. The system is designed for
minimum pressure drop, allowing use of existing ballast pumps.
With over 10 years operational experience and the most retrofit
projects, Hyde Marine is prepared to face challenges the market
presents.
12. Jiangsu Nanji Machinery: NiBallast
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular and scalable to 200 – 1,500m3/h
Method: Membrane Filtration and De-oxygenation
The NiBallast system employs a series of filters to remove larger
organisms and membrane technology similar to that used in
sewage treatment systems that prevents virtually all organisms from
reaching the ballast tanks. In addition and as a safeguard, a nitrogen
G8 SYSTEMS
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XXTHE PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
PROVEN TECHNOLOGY www.desmioceanguard.com
NEWLowest energy consumption in class!
Ocean Guard A/S- ballast water treatment systems
Based on filtration and UV-treatment
No chemicals! No risk of increased corrosion! No hazards to crew, vessel or the environment!
Tested in both fresh-, brackish and marine water salinities
Tested according to both IMO and US Coast Guard requirements
Automatic adjustment of treatment to water quality
Tested in extreme water conditions with UV-Transmis-sion as low as 33%
Reliable treatment that meets the IMO and USCG discharge standards every time.
RayCleanYour Reliable Ballast Water Treatment Solution
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BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
62 | APRIL 2014
generator and mixing device is used to de-oxygenate the water that
has passed through the filters and membrane.
13. Knutsen OAS: KBAL
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: 200 – 3,000m3/h
Method: Pressure Vacuum UV
The KBAL system consists of a limited number of parts, the main
KBAL system does not make use of filters and its main component
is the compact pressure vacuum reactor which is required to be
deck mounted or high level mounted in the engine room. Ballast
water from the intake is pumped to pressure vacuum reactor which
works in combination with a vertical ballast water drop line, ensures
a low temperature boiling condition that eliminates the majority of
the organisms. The ballast drop line is the reason why the pressure
vacuum reactor must be deck mounted or high level mounted in
the engine room.
After passing through the pressure vacuum reactor and the
ballast drop line, any remaining bacteria are effectively eliminated
by the UV chamber mounted downstream on the pressure vacuum
reactor. The KBAL system can be used during ballasting, during
voyage (circulating) and/or during de-ballasting.
14. Kwang San: BioViolet
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – No
Capacity: Modular and scalable 150-1,500m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
The system employs 50μm filtration followed by medium pressure
UV irradiation. The filter is cleaned by back flushing and there is also
a wiping system to keep the UV lamp sleeves clean. Power – and
therefore UV intensity – is controllable from a touch-screen panel.
The system also logs data concerning times, temperature, pressure,
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MAHLE OPS
flow rate and times.
The system is modular and scalable and its design allows the two
key components of filter and UV reactor to be installed in a variety
of positions and locations. The company describes it as a second
generation system and appears to have abandoned development
and production of the EnBallast system that employed electro-
chlorination and has basic G9 approval.
15. MAHLE Industry: Ocean Protection System OPS
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular and scalable to 2,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
The system employs two-stage filtration followed by UV irradiation.
The automatically self-cleaning filter for pre-treatment is used
for removing particulate impurities from highly contaminated water
and process water. It works even at low operating pressures and
has only low pressure losses at high flow rates. In the second stage
the ballast water is cleaned with the aid of an automatically self-
cleaning filter, which removes more particles and organisms.
Standard solutions achieve flow rates of up to 2,000m3/h.
Compared with conventional filters, this filter has the advantage of
providing continuous filtration without interrupting the flow. The
combined pre-treatment allows large volume streams to be treated.
The treated ballast water contains only very low levels of
suspended solids, thus ensuring that the low-pressure UV rays
can penetrate sufficiently for maximum efficiency. The low-
pressure radiation units in the OPS emit most of their UV light
in the 254nm range, which is in the spectral range of maximum
germicidal effectiveness. Depending on the ships construction
the system can be delivered in a container, skid-mounted on a
frame or in single components. The system configuration with
its very low pressure drop allows its integration in ballast water
systems mostly without the need of exchanging existing ballast
water pumps.
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16. MH Systems:
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – No
Capacity: Unlimited
Method: Deoxygenation
The MH Systems’ patented ballast water treatment system takes
advantage of the inert gas generated on board from a marine
inert gas generator. MH Systems does not treat the water as it
is being brought into the ballast tanks but the water is treated
‘in-tank’ to kill the organisms and prepare it for discharge. Before
the water is discharged the water is brought back to its original
oxygenated state. The MH Systems’ patented product consists of
a vessel-specific ‘contract design’ for the ballast water treatment
system, a control box, support for installation and operational
support as needed. The custom design specifies the installation
of a gas compressor, piping, diffusers, valves and control system.
No chemicals are needed or used. No filters need be cleaned.
All components are off-the-shelf in origin, marine hardened with
proven reliability. The diffusers, for example, can operate without
maintenance for 10 years. Because the MHS ballast water treatment
system treats the ballast water ‘in-tank’, the system has unlimited
capacity to treat any quantity of ballast water, independent of
flow rate into or out of ballast tanks. Furthermore, there are no
restrictions on how many ballast tanks can be concurrently filled.
17. Mitsui Engineering: FineBallast MF
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: 50 – 900m3/h
Method: Membrane Filter
This system employs a coarse pre-filter to remove larger particles
and organisms to prevent blockage of the flow passage. The filter is
fully automatic in terms of operation and washing without affecting
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AFTER CLEANING, THE REMAINING H2O2 IN THE SEAWATER IS DETOXIFIED BY A CATALYST.
the filtration process. Filtered water then passes to the Membrane
module and is processed by passing through the membrane. The
membrane used with this system possesses an extremely uniform
micro pore size, and can satisfy the D-2 standard without using
Active Substances. The membrane improves the ballast water
processing module, using two or more modules. The system
operates automatically, and organisms filtered by the membrane
are returned to the sea at regular intervals. The “FineBallast MF”
BWMS has a “Cleaning in Place” (CIP) unit using H2O2 to clean
out organisms adhering to the membrane after ballasting. The
CIP-unit feeds a prescribed amount of H2O2 to seawater reserved
in the membrane unit and starts cleaning. After cleaning, the
remaining H2O2 in the seawater is detoxified by a catalyst. The
CIP unit is comprised of an H2O2 feed tank, concentration meter,
supply pump, filter, and catalyst unit. After ballasting is completed,
chemical cleaning is executed automatically.
18. MMC Green Technology:
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: 150m3/h – 300m3/h modular and scalable
Method: Filtration and UV
The systems can be easy installed onboard new or existing vessels.
Systems can be delivered on skid or in separate units. For other
capacities beyond the 300m3/h model the units can be scaled.
The filter system incorporates back flushing and its control panel
can also be linked into an automated system. The system is claimed
to be low maintenance and easy to operate.
19. NEI Treatment Systems: VOS
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable to 7,000m3/h
Method: De-oxygenation
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VOS induces a low-oxygen (hypoxic) condition in ship ballast
tanks using inert gas. This hypoxic condition deprives aquatic
organisms – both plants and animals – of the oxygen needed to
survive. This low-oxygen environment also limits the amount of
oxygen available to form iron oxide, or rust, thereby protecting
the internal steel surfaces of the ballast tank against corrosion and
preventing premature deterioration of ballast tank coatings.
NEI’s patented VOS System safely removes 95% of dissolved
oxygen from ballast water by mixing very low-oxygen inert gas
with natural water as it is drawn into the ship as ballast. In a process
similar to evaporation, the inert gas strips the water of its dissolved
oxygen. The inert gas is produced in a stripping gas generator
burning diesel fuel and is then educed into the ballast stream using
venturi injectors.
The inert gas and dissolved oxygen in the ballast water gradually
come to equilibrium with the gas absorbing some of the dissolved
oxygen and the water taking up some of the inert gases (nitrogen
and CO2). As the ballast tank fills, the gas which now contains most
of the oxygen that was in the ballast is vented off.
Upon discharge below the water line, the ballast water
once again passes through the VOS venturi injectors, where
air is re-introduced back into the water before release into the
environment. As water exits the ballast tanks, the tanks are filled with
inert gas in order to maintain a low-oxygen condition, which has
two key benefits: When deoxygenated water is once again drawn
into the ballast tanks, it will not re-oxygenate, and the ballast tank
coating life is extended and steel corrosion is reduced by up to 84%.
20. Optimarin: OBS
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable to 3,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
This modular system is very flexible, with a relatively small
footprint and weight, and will fit vessels of all kinds and sizes.
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THIS LOW-OXYGEN ENVIRONMENT ALSO LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN AVAILABLE TO FORM IRON OXIDE.
The OBS can be delivered as a complete skid or as a customised
solution. It accommodates a wide range of ballast water capacities
and can handle flows up to 3000m3/h (or higher upon request). The
equipment can be installed horizontally, vertically, on or suspended
below deck, along the ship’s side or in several separate locations.
The maker offers three different 40μm filters, the B&K candle
type, the FilterSafe basket type and the Filtrex basket type filter. All
three filter types have automatic back flushing and are self-cleaning.
After filtration high power UV is employed for the efficient
inactivation of organisms, bacteria and pathogens in ballast water.
The UV system makes use of single UV lamp chambers with a
167m3/h flow rate per chamber. Multiple chambers can be installed
in parallel on a single manifold for higher flows. There is a UV
and temperature sensor in each chamber connected to a control
unit for monitoring and logging purposes. The control panel can
incorporate control for ballast pumps and valves if required.
21. Shanghai Cyeco Environmental Technology: Cyeco BWMS
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable from 200 to 6,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
The Cyeco BWMS features two-stage process, first applying
automatic filtration to remove larger organisms and sediments
followed by medium pressure UV unit to disinfect and inactivate
smaller plankton, bacteria and pathogens.
The filter removes larger organisms and sediment particles and
is designed to automatically back-flush itself at the end of each
ballasting or de-ballasting operation, and when a timer is triggered
or preset differential pressure caused by solids built up on filter
screen is reached. This automatic back-flushing mechanism keeps
the filter screen clean and provides reliable, non-stop operation at
high sediment loads. All organisms and particles removed by the
filter are continuously returned to the sea at ballasting site. The filter
is bypassed during the de-ballasting operation.
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TROJAN MARINEX IS FOCUSED SOLELY ON THE MARINE INDUSTRY AND PROVIDING BALLAST WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS.
22. Trojan Marinex: Trojan Marinex BWT
Substance Approval – n/r
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Up to 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
The Trojan Marinex BWT system treats ballast water using two
stages (filtration + UV) housed within the same unit. Filtration
removes larger particles and organisms. UV inactivates the
remaining organisms and microorganisms. During deballasting,
the filter is bypassed and the ballast water from the tanks passes
through the UV chamber of the unit only. The purpose-built
system is developed by Trojan Marinex. Trojan Marinex is focused
solely on the marine industry and providing ballast water treatment
solutions. They are part of the Trojan Technologies group of
businesses. Collectively, this group is dedicated to providing water
confidence and has played an important role in the development
of many of today’s water treatment innovations. Several of the
products developed by these businesses are installed in large
applications around the world, and are relied upon to effectively
treat the most challenging of waters. Trojan Marinex BWT systems
are purpose-built for the marine environment, and provide filtration
+ UV in a single, compact unit. The product suite includes a full
range of systems that are able to treat any flow rate throughout all
water qualities. There are seven unit sizes, ranging from 150m3/h
to 1,500m3/h. For operational flexibility, redundancy or higher
flow rates, units can be installed in parallel without compromising
efficacy. The Trojan Marinex BWT product suite obtained IMO Type
Approval from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) on behalf of the Norwegian
Maritime Directorate. Testing was conducted under the supervision
of DNV (DNV is certified as an Independent Lab by the USCG) in
accordance with United States Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA) Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Ballast Water
Protocol. The ETV protocol is a key testing requirement for systems
to obtain USCG Type Approval..
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23. Wärtsilä: Aquarius UV
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular up to 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
The Wärtsilä AQUARIUS UV BWMS is a simple two stage process
involving filtration and UV irradiation. During uptake, seawater is first
passed through a 40μm back washing screen to remove particulate,
sediment, zooplankton and phytoplankton. Disinfection of the
filtered sea water is then carried out using medium pressure UV
lamps, and controlled by the BWMS control system.
Upon discharge, the filter is by-passed but the ballast water is
again disinfected with UV treatment before safe discharge back into
the sea.
By virtue of its modular design, the system’s inherent flexibility
allows application across the full range of ship types and sizes, for
both the new build and retrofit markets. Wärtsilä offers customers
a range of flexible supply options, from the BWMS equipment
only, to a full ‘turnkey’ service covering all phases, from the initial
survey through to the supply, installation, and commissioning of
the hardware, and continuing with lifecycle after sales service and
support.
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Severn Trent de Nora
G9 GROUP
The following pages include a brief description of systems
making use of active substances and following the IMO
G9 approval route. This is a much larger group than
those following the G8 path to approval. In most cases
the active substance is either chlorine or ozone which will need to
be neutralized during deballasting operations.
1. Alfa Laval: Pure Ballast, PureBallast 2.0.
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 250 – 3,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
One of the first systems to achieve type approval and
commercialisation. The original version was followed by a second
generation version PureBallast 2.0 which was approved under the
G8 guidelines and an EX version for use on tankers and gas carriers.
All have been discontinued in favour of the PureBallast 3.0 system
which is also approved under the G8 process
In the discontinued systems, a 40 μm filter is used during
ballasting operations. (During deballasting, the filter is bypassed.).
| CHAPTER 7: G9 SYSTEMS
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The filter is cleaned via automatic backflushing.
Depending on the system flow rate, one or more UV units
comprise the active stage of PureBallast treatment. Flow rates of
250-3,000m3/h can be achieved, with individual UV units handling
a flow of 250m3/h. The UV units can be placed in a number of
configurations, including linear or in parallel. A lamp drive cabinet
for power¬ing the 12 UV lamps is attached to each UV unit.
The electronic components in the cabinet are cooled by low-
temperature fresh water.
A flow meter connected to the flow control valve ensures that
the PureBallast system does not exceed its certified flow rate. The
meter also provides the control system with data regarding the
amount of ballast that has been taken in or discharged. The valve
also ensures that there is enough pressure drop over the filter to
safeguard efficient backflushing. A bypass valve makes it possible to
completely bypass the PureBallast system.
Performance is safeguarded by an automatic Cleaning-in-
Place unit, which circulates a non-toxic and 100% bio¬degradable
cleaning solution that prevents seawater scaling within the UV units.
This solution is reusable and is replaced when its pH reaches 3.0.
The cleaning cycle occurs automatically after each ballasting or
deballasting operation. A pressure transmitter and pressure indicator
provide both automatic and analogue monitoring of pressure
within the PureBallast system. A full-colour graphical touch screen
provides access to all aspects of the system, including monitoring
and log functions.
2. Aqua Engineering: Aquastar
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 250 – 5,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and electrolysis with neutralisation of TROs
The AquaStar system is composed of a Smart Pipe unit, an
electrolyser unit, a neutralisation unit and a system control unit.
| CHAPTER 7: G9 SYSTEMS
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BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
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THE SYSTEM CONTROL UNIT AUTOMATICALLY MONITORS AND CONTROLS THE OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM DURING BALLASTING AND DE-BALLASTING.
MMC Ballast Water Management System DNV type approved and USCG AMS approved
You will not find a smaller footprint!• Flexible solutions, tailor-made skids, vertical/ horizontal arrangement
or separate components.
• Latest UV Technology.
• User-/and maintenance-friendly.
• Low power consumption and operating cost.
• Automatic flushing with fresh water after operation for extended lifetime.
• Can be integrated in ships existing automation system (IAS).
• State of the art control system with possibility for remote Access.
MMC Ballast Water Management System DNV type approved and USCG AMS approved
You will not find a smaller footprint!• Flexible solutions, tailor-made skids,
vertical/ horizontal arrangement or separate components
• Latest UV Technology• User-/and maintenance-friendly• Low power consumption and
operating cost• Automatic flushing with fresh water
after operation for extended lifetime • Can be integrated in ships existing
automation system (IAS)• State of the art control system with
possibility for remote Access
Børge GjelsethSales & Marketing Director
t: +47 81 57 00 02f: +47 70 08 39 50m: +47 90 06 11 97
Modules are produced in a variety of sizes and two or more used
to match ballast flow. The maker claims the system isuitable for the
largest vessel types.
When ballasting, the seawater passes through the Smart Pipe
unit which has a number of filtration compartments with mesh sizes
of 30 μm ~ 50 μm. The electrolyser unit is installed directly in the
ballast pipe run.The Total Residual Oxidants (TRO) concentration
of the treated water is monitored automatically by the control unit
with a feed-back system for control of the power supply in order
to regulate the production of chlorine (Cl2), and in turn the TRO
concentration.
During the voyage, the disinfectants inhibit re-growth of harmful
aquatic organisms. A ventilation system, also monitored by the
control unit, continuously removes hydrogen gas (H2) and chlorine
gas (Cl2) developed during the electrolysis process.
During de-ballasting, the neutralisation unit removes or reduces
TRO of the treated water to concentration levels similar to those of
natural seawater. The TRO concentration is continuously monitored
during de-ballasting, and a feed-back system controls the injection
of the neutralizing agent, sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O3). The
concentration of TRO in the de-ballasting water is kept below 0.2
mg/L as Cl2.
The system control unit automatically monitors and controls the
operation of the system during ballasting and de-ballasting.
3. Dalian Maritime University: DMU -OH
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Information suggests 5,000m3/h is possible
Method: Filtration and advanced oxidation
During ballasting, water is processed through the 50 μm filtration
unit and then passes through the ASP unit which generates
hydroxyl radicals to break down the cell membranes of organisms
and pathogens. The dose of Active Substances is automatically
monitored by the control unit based on the TRO value.
G9 SYSTEMS
APRIL 2014 | 73 APRIL 2014 | 73
MMC Ballast Water Management System DNV type approved and USCG AMS approved
You will not find a smaller footprint!• Flexible solutions, tailor-made skids, vertical/ horizontal arrangement
or separate components.
• Latest UV Technology.
• User-/and maintenance-friendly.
• Low power consumption and operating cost.
• Automatic flushing with fresh water after operation for extended lifetime.
• Can be integrated in ships existing automation system (IAS).
• State of the art control system with possibility for remote Access.
MMC Ballast Water Management System DNV type approved and USCG AMS approved
You will not find a smaller footprint!• Flexible solutions, tailor-made skids,
vertical/ horizontal arrangement or separate components
• Latest UV Technology• User-/and maintenance-friendly• Low power consumption and
operating cost• Automatic flushing with fresh water
after operation for extended lifetime • Can be integrated in ships existing
automation system (IAS)• State of the art control system with
possibility for remote Access
Børge GjelsethSales & Marketing Director
t: +47 81 57 00 02f: +47 70 08 39 50m: +47 90 06 11 97
74 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
74 | APRIL 2014
During de-ballasting, any residual oxidant is neutralised
by sodium thiosulphate (Na2S
2O
3) which is injected from the
neutralisation unit if TRO concentration is higher than 0.2 mg/L.
The filtration unit consists of an automatic self-cleaning filter.
The backflushing water, along with all contaminants is flushed out
through the drain and returned to the sea area from where the
ballast water was drawn.
The ASP unit is the core component of the system and
comprises an oxygen generator, an active oxygen particles
generator, a low temperature coolant circulating pump and an
ambient oxygen/ozone gas sensor.
In the unit active substances are generated by applying a strong
electric-field discharge at atmospheric pressure to kill the organisms
and pathogens. The oxygen and gas phase water are ionized by
high energy electron then dissociated into free active radicals or
ions such as O2+, O
3, H
2O
2 and H
2O+ in active oxygen particles
generator, and these active radicals or ions are mixed well with
water for continues reaction, producing Active Substances, which
are most hydroxyl.
The treated ballast water is neutralised at discharge. A touch
screen control unit displays the operating conditions of every
component of the system and all relevant process parameters,
events and alarms are recorded and can be read directly on screen
or transferred using USB ports or the internet.
4. Desmi Ocean Guard: Oxyclean
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 100 – 3,000m3/h
Method: Filtration, UV and Ozonation
The system can be integrated into the existing ballast water system
with few changes in the piping system. The treatment system can
be delivered containerised, skid-mounted or in loose components.
The system size can be increased in 100m3 steps to give various
treatment rates of between 100 and 3,000m3/h by adding more
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lamps. The system has been tested and approved for use in all
salinity conditions including fresh water. In fresh water a 25% lower
treatment rate may be expected.
The first treatment is by 30 micron pressurised filtration,
removing larger organisms and sediment. The filter is self-cleaning
and only cleans, or back-flushes, a part of the filter at any time
meaning there is no interruption in the ballasting process.
Second treatment step is UV radiation with low pressure lamps
claimed as more efficient and able to operate at much lower
temperatures than other UV lamps. This provides longer lifetime
and reduces mineral deposits on the quartz tubes surrounding the
UV lamps. In addition the system makes use of a patent pending
technology for generation of Ozone to be used for treatment of the
ballast water; by leading air through the gap between the UV lamps
and their surrounding quartz sleeves, the UV radiation of the oxygen
generates ozone.
The final treatment step is to use the ozone generated by the
low pressure lamps by dissolving it in the ballast water. The entire
ozone transportation system from the lamps to the ballast water is
under vacuum, meaning that in case of a pipe leakage, air will come
into the ozone, rather than the ozone leaking into the environment.
A second treatment when de-ballasting kills any regrowth
ensuring compliance with IMO discharge standards at all times.
5. Dow Chemical Pacific (Singapore): Dow Pinnacle
Substance Approval – No
Type approved – No
Capacity: Modular 250 – 3,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and Ozonation
Ballast water is treated by first removing particulates with a high
capacity, self-cleaning, 40μm filter. Filtered water is then ozonated
to directly inhibit planktonic micro- and macroorganisms and to
react with dissolved and particulate materials in seawater to form no
more than 10 mg/L total residual oxidants.
During normal operation, O3 is metered into the water stream
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THE FEED WATER REQUIRED VARIES WITH THE SIZE OF THE SYSTEM AND ON THE LARGEST WILL BE IN THE REGION OF 45M3/H.
based on the TRO concentration. The DP-BWMS is claimed to be
unique in that it is able to automatically adjust the O3 production
rate, depending on the amount needed to treat the water. In the
event of a fault with the TRO monitor or when the readings are
outside an acceptable range previously defined by laboratory
testing, the system will default to employing the readings from an
ORP sensor. In the event of a malfunction of the ORP sensor, the
system defaults to a pre-set O3 feed-rate of 5-12 mg/L as applied
O3 dose (AOD). If a major system fault occurs (e.g. clogged filter,
pump malfunction, etc.), the system will shut down and issue a
signal to alert the appropriate authority.
When the treated water is to be discharged, residual oxidants
will be measured indirectly with an online sensor and, if needed, a
neutraliser (Sodium thiosulphate) will be added.
6. Ecochlor: ES
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable to 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and Chlorination
Treatment begins with a two-stage filtration process with continual
suction cleaning of the filters that are made of four-layered stainless
steel. The filters are housed in cylindrical housings the number and
size of which is dependent on the system size. The filters can be
located horizontally or vertically as space allows. The filters need to
be housed closed to the ballast intake but the rest of the system can
be remotely located – even on deck.
Treatment is by chlorine dioxide produced by mixing Purate
(a combination of sodium chlorate and hydrogen peroxide) with
sulphuric acid with feed water. This is done in the treatment
system which can be remotely located. The feed water required
varies with the size of the system and on the largest will be in the
region of 45m3/h. The water can be seawater or fresh water and is
only needed during ballasting. A vacuum is created in the mixing
chamber as the water passes through a specially designed venturi
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tube. Once this vacuum is established, the two precursor chemicals
are introduced into the mixing cham¬ber. The supply water then
becomes a dilute solution of chlorine dioxide that is sent to the
main ballast water line. The chlorine dioxide produced decays and
neutralises over time but in a different chemical process than that
occurring with electro-chlorination.
Concerns that the chlorine dioxide could have an adverse
corrosive effect on ballast tanks would seem to have been allayed
following extensive tests using bare metal and common ballast tank
coatings. The system has been approved for inclusion in the USCG
STEP process.
7. Envirotech & Consultancy: BlueSeas/Blue World
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Modular (max rate not publicized).
Method: Filtration and Electro-chlorination
The BlueSeas system employs a methodology similar to many
systems with initial filtration followed by electro-chlorination and
neutralisation on deballasting.
The filter is the recommended 50μm mesh size through which
ballast passes before entering the electro-disinfection reactor where
free active chlorine and hydroxyl radicals (OH) are produced. The
chemistry of the water in the reactor is constantly and automatically
monitored. A ventilation system is used to remove the hydrogen gas
(H2) and chlorine gas (Cl2) generated in the process.
When the treated water is to be discharged, residual oxidants
will be measured indirectly with an online sensor and, if needed, a
neutraliser (Sodium thiosulphate) will be added.
The second system would appear to be a development of
the first but exact information is difficult to come by. The initial
technology was developed by the University of Singapore which is
commercializing it through a third party.
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8. Erma First: ESK Engineering
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 50 – 3,000m3/h
Method: Cyclonic filtration and electro-chlorination
The treatment process includes two distinctive stages,
hydrocyclonic separation followed by elctrochlorination.
At the primary stage of the process, removal of material with
size larger than 200μm is accomplished by means of an advanced
cyclonic separator made from frictionless material.
To prevent blocking of the separator from large particles that
might pass though the sea chests and strainers of the vessel, a
500μm self-cleaning basket filter has been installed prior to the
separator.
Electrolysis of ballast water for producing in situ up to 10mg/L of
free active chlorine constitutes the second stage of treatment which
takes place during ballasting. The products of this process flow into
the ballast tanks of the vessel, so that the residual oxidants disinfect
the water from any harmful organisms taken onboard.
Integral components of the system are the control and
monitoring equipment that ensure its proper operation as well
as the neutralisation process of treated ballast water prior to its
eventual discharge into the sea.
The operational status of the system is continuously monitored
at a central data logger, located on the central control panel of the
system. Data logging includes the operation status of the system,
operation, flow and temperature at the electrolytic cell, pressure
difference across the self-cleaned filter and the cyclonic separator,
the operational status of the neutralising agent dosing pump as well
as the chlorine level of the system.
During de-ballasting, neutralisation of the total residual chlorine
takes place by adding an aqueous solution of sodium bisulphite.
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Evoqua SeaCURE System
9. Evoqua Water Technologies: SeaCURE BWMS
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular and scalable to 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and electro-chlorination
The SeaCURE Ballast Water Management System, developed
by Evoqua Water Technologies formerly Siemens WT uses a
combination of filtration and a proprietary, on-demand treatment
with biocides, produced in situ from seawater. The SeaCURE system
has evolved from the Chloropac marine growth prevention system
(MGPS) that has been servicing needs of the maritime and off-shore
Oil & Gas industries for over 40 years.
The system uses a small side stream of just about 1% of the
ballast water flow to generate sodium hypochlorite for the
treatment of ballast water. This offers several advantages, such as
the flexible installation of small subsystems in the engine room.
Using a small flow-rate in the electrolyzer allows as well to fully
degas the by-product hydrogen in a degas tank thus preventing its
desorption and accumulation in the ballast tanks.
The only component that is introduced in the ballast water
main is the automatic backwash filter. This keeps the pressure drop
over the system very low in comparison to in-line systems and
avoids the need for explosion-proof design for the core parts such
as electrolysers since they can be installed in the safe area of the
engine room. Another key advantage of the SeaCURE system is its
use not only in treating ballast water but also in treating cooling
water circuits on board. Since ballasting occurs only during very
short periods in a ship’s lifetime, conventional ballast water systems
remain idle for 95% of the time.
By contrast, the SeaCURE system can be used all the time,
eliminating the need for an additional system to treat cooling water.
The system receives IMO Type Approval from the German
flag state administration, Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und
Hydrographie (BSH) in February 2014.
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THE ELECTRO-CHLORINATION UNIT OF THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO OPERATE AT A SEAWATER SALINITY OF 10 PSU OR MORE.
10. GEA Westfalia Separator: BallastMaster
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Scalable to more than 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and electro-chlorination
One of two systems developed by GEA Westfalia Separator with
similar names (The other, the BallastMaster UltraV is a G8 system
and is described under that chapter). The BallastMaster EcoP is
based on a mechanical / electrolytic process and treats the ballast
water in three stages.
In the first treatment stage, the ballast water passes through a
cartridge filter as it is taken on; this filter performs an automatic
back-flush at intervals and in accordance with IMO specifications,
removes all coarse particles larger than 40μm.
In the second treatment stage, disinfecting proper is carried out
by adding an active substance directly to the pipeline to the ballast
water tank. OXIDAT, which is prepared on board by electrolysis from
a simple salt water solution consisting of table salt and fresh water,
is used as the disinfectant and is added to the ballast water taken
on in a ratio of 1:250. This process which is known, tried and tested
from drinking water treatment ensures that waterborne organisms,
bacteria and viruses are reliably destroyed. The system makers
claims its great advantage is that 100% of the OXIDAT breaks down
into its original substances under the action of UV radiation.
Initially, however, the disinfectant remains in the ballast water
tank where it is able to develop its long-lasting slow release effect.
This helps destroy existing deposits of organisms in the ballast
tank specifically in the case of retrofits. In the third stage, when the
ballast water is pumped back out, a sodium thiosulphate solution is
added as required as a neutralizing agent to reduce the TRO (Total
Residual Oxidants) content to the value below 0.2 ppm specified by
the IMO.
The extremely low energy consumption of BallastMaster ecoP
makes it especially suitable for ships with a large volume of ballast
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THE ELECTROCATALYSIS UNIT IS ABLE TO PRODUCE LARGE NUMBERS OF HYDROXYL RADICALS AND OTHER HIGHLY ACTIVE OXIDIZING SUBSTANCES TO KILL ALL ORGANISMS IN THE BALLAST WATER.
water. Its modular structure makes the system highly flexible in
retrofit installations.
11. Hanla IMS: EcoGuardian
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – No
Capacity: Scalable more than 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and Electro-chlorination
The system employs a three-step treatment: beginning with
filtration through an automatic backflushing 50μm filter unit
which removes large organisms and solid particles. The filter unit
operates only during ballasting. Backflushing is automatic and does
not interrupt the continuous filtration process. While some filter
elements are cleaned by backflushing in a rotating sequence, the
remaining filter elements continue operating.
From the main ballast water line, a small amount of ballast
water stream is directed to the electrolyser unit through a sideline.
This stream produces highly concentrated disinfectant solution by
electrolysis and is then injected back into the main ballast water
stream. The disinfectants maintain their effectiveness for several
days in the ballast tank. So the regrowth of any live organisms can
be suppressed.
The electro-chlorination unit of the system is designed to
operate at a seawater salinity of 10 PSU or more. For operation
in low salinity water, the system can use seawater stored in an
onboard seawater tank because this system uses only a small
amount of seawater in comparison with the incoming ballast water
flow. As a by-product of electro-chlorination, hydrogen gas is
generated on the cathodes of electrolytic cells and vented from the
system as soon as possible whenever it is produced. Hydrogen gas
is separated by cyclone and is diluted at less than 1% of atmospheric
concentration of hydrogen by forced air blowing. Finally this diluted
hydrogen gas is vented to the outside of a ship.
During the de-ballasting process, water passes through a
neutralisation unit prior to overboard discharging. Here sodium
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thiosulphate is injected into the de-ballasting line to neutralise the
residual TRO. The amount of sodium thiosulphate is controlled
by monitoring the de-ballasting flow rate and residual TRO
concentration.
The system allows for monitoring of the system and saving log
files.
12. Headway Technology: OceanGuard
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 100 – 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration, Advanced Oxidation and Electrocatalysis
Treatment begins with filtration through a 50μm auto-back flushing
filter before the main treatment by what the maker describes as
Advanced Electrocatalysis Oxidation Process (AEOP).
Hydroxyl radicals produced by AEOP technology will disappear
after several nanoseconds. These radicals have high sterilisation
efficiency. The process takes place within the system’s two-part
Electrocatalysis and Ultrasound Treatment (EUT) unit. The EUT unit
is the core of OceanGuard system. Each single unit has a treatment
capacity from 100-3000m3/h. The unit comprises of two parts:
Electrocatalysis unit and Ultrasound unit. The Electrocatalysis unit
is able to produce large numbers of hydroxyl radicals and other
highly active oxidizing substances to kill all organisms in the ballast
water. The whole sterilisation process is completed inside the EUT
unit. During the treatment process, the Ultrasound unit cleans the
surface of Electrocatalysis unit regularly to maintain the long-
term treatment effectiveness of the electrocatalysis material. The
concentration of TRO (total residual oxidation) can be controlled
within 2ppm, so that the TRO can carry out advanced Management
on the water in ballast tanks. Finally, a control unit is responsible
for regulating the entire system including collection of data from
the sensors, Management of alarm signals and controls of system
startup and shutdown. An explosion proof version of the system is
available for use in tankers and gas carriers.
Ecochlor® Ballast Water Treatment Systems Unaffected by turbidity, salinity or temperature
zeroA Q U AT I C I N V A S I V E S P E C I E S
expect
Best Data. Lowest Power. Ecochlor systems are
the most effective and reliable systems on the market.
www.ecochlor.com
U S C G A M S A C C E P T E D
Ecochlor2014_ExpectZero_10_A5.indd 1 3/18/14 2:42 PM
G9 SYSTEMS
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Ecochlor® Ballast Water Treatment Systems Unaffected by turbidity, salinity or temperature
zeroA Q U AT I C I N V A S I V E S P E C I E S
expect
Best Data. Lowest Power. Ecochlor systems are
the most effective and reliable systems on the market.
www.ecochlor.com
U S C G A M S A C C E P T E D
Ecochlor2014_ExpectZero_10_A5.indd 1 3/18/14 2:42 PM
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13. Hitachi: ClearBallast
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable – claimed as greater than 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and coagulation/flocculation
This system features uncommon technologies and although it has
received G9 final approval, the system does not make use of active
chemicals. It also is unique in that the treatment process takes place
before the filtration stage.
Ballast water taken in has a magnetic powder and an inorganic
coagulant added before passing to a mixer tank where the additives
are thoroughly mixed with the ballast water. As the water leaves
the tank, an organic flocculant is also added. The ballast water then
travels through a series of flocculator tanks. In these tanks organic
and inorganic material, together with the additives clump together
to form large magnetic flocs.
The next stage in the process involves a magnetic separator
comprising of several magnetic discs to which the flocs are
attracted magnetically. The flocs are removed from the discs and
pumped to a storage tank from where they can either be discharged
ashore or dried and disposed of by incineration. The cleaned
water drains from the separator and passes to the next stage in
the process. The coagulation and flocculation processes are not
dependent on the salinity of the water making the system suitable
for universal use.
Here the water passes through a filter separator where any
remaining contaminants and organisms are removed before the
water continues to the ballast tanks.
De-ballasting is a simple matter of emptying the ballast tanks in
the conventional manner.
Components of the system can be fitted wherever space is
available and although storage space is required for the waste
material, this could be done in a ballast tank especially dedicated to
the purpose.
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Hyundai EcoBallast
THE FILTER IS FULLY AUTOMATIC IN TERMS OF ITS OPERATION AND CLEANING WITHOUT AFFECTING THE FILTRATION PROCESS, AND BACKWASHING WATER IS RETURNED INTO THE SEA IN SITU.
14. Hwaseung: HS Ballast
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Not known
Method: Electrolysis
The HS Ballast system is similar to many others in concept making
use of electrolysis and subsequent neutralisation on discharge but is
unusual in that it does not include a filtration stage. Neutralisation is
by means of sodium thiosulphate stored on board and injected into
the ballast during de-ballasting.
Although basic approval was granted in October 2012, the
system has apparently not yet begun onboard testing and no details
as to capacity are available.
15. Hyundai HI: EcoBallast
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 250 – 2,400m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
This filter unit is composed of a 50μm filter with automatic back
flushing. The slotted tube filter elements ensure highly effective
filtration of contaminating particles from seawater. Automatic
cleaning starts as soon as the elements become contaminated
when the pressure drop across the filter element reaches to the
set-point.
The filter is fully automatic in terms of its operation and cleaning
without affecting the filtration process, and backwashing water
is returned into the sea in situ. The filter unit operates only during
ballasting; during de-ballasting, the filter unit is bypassed.
The ballast water is treated by UV radiation both during ballasting
and again during de-ballasting. The patent pending Helix type
UV reactor of the EcoBallast system has been specially designed
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for ballast water application to reduce space and to maximise
efficiency. It employs a high-intensity, medium-pressure ultra-
violet lamp. The helix UV reactor overcomes the limitation of
previous UV systems for application to ballast water treatment
because the helical lamp structure decreases the probability that
micro-organisms, pass the UV chamber without being exposed to
sufficiently high UV-doses.
The system control unit ensures the flow is within the design
range ensuring correct exposure. The system also features a
cleaning in place (CIP) unit, which is an automatic device that cleans
the quartz sleeves covering the UV-lamps after each ballasting and
de-ballasting operation.
Biodegradable acid solution can be used to remove chemical
deposits such as calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and
similar. The cleaning solution is reusable and will be returned to the
CIP tank at the end of each cleaning operation.
16. Hyundai HI: HiBallast
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable to 8,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and Electro-chlorination
The HiBallast System has a filter unit with 50μm filter elements
to remove large particles and organisms from the ballast water
and, hence, reduces sediment build-up in the ballast water tanks.
The system uses filter unit only in uptake operation and returns
backflushed water to its point of origin.
The principal function of the electrolysis unit is production of
high concentration of the disinfectant, hypochlorite generated from
in situ electro-chemical reaction. Besides, seawater or brackish
water from the filter, water from the sea-chest, cooling seawater,
or stored seawater can be fed to electrolysis unit to produce the
concentrate of disinfectant which requires a degree of salinity.
Electro-chemically produced disinfectant is injected into main
stream of the ballast pipe. After injection, disinfectant will be
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diluted with ballast water in the piping and pumped to ballast tanks.
During the voyage period, the residual disinfectant will kill marine
organisms and suppress re-growth of organisms. As a by-product of
electro-chemical production of chlorine, hydrogen is generated on
the cathode of the cell and is vented from the system.
The system employs a specially devised vent system according
to the installation position in vessel. One vent system uses a water
eductor and discharges gas overboard with water. The vent system
does not need a line up to the upper deck when installed in the
engine-room. Another vent system uses the conventionally used
forced air blowing and dilution system.
The dosage of disinfectant will be controlled by feedback of total
residual oxidant (TRO) measurement and supplementary pH and
ORP of diluted seawater. In the neutralisation unit, the neutralising
agent is injected into a mixing nozzle installed in ballast pipe.
Sodium thiosulphate (penta-hydrate form) has been selected as the
neutralising agent.
17. JFE Engineering: BallastAce
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable to 4,500m3/h
Method: Filtration and Chlorination
One of two near identical systems by JFE Engineering. The initial
phase of treatment is filtration. Seawater is taken up by the ballast
pump, and then passes through a strainer and precision filter.
Plankton and particles of suspended solids with a minimum size
of 50μm are captured by the filter element and rapidly returned to
their original habitat or the waters where they were found by way
of the backwash discharge pipe, together with the backwash water
collected by the backwash function of the precision filter element,
which is performed continuously during ballasting.
After filtration the ballast continues towards the ballast tank.
Before reaching the tank, a sterilising agent produced from a tank
containing sodium hypochlorite is injected into the stream which
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then passes through specially shaped venturi tubes ensuring the
chemical is well mixed into the ballast. The venturi tubes also
introduce an element of cavitation that aids in damaging organisms.
A sensor between the venturi tubes and the ballast tank measures
the chlorine levels in the water and if deficient the rate of injection
is increased. Some of the chlorine remains active in the ballast tank
helping to prevent any regrowth.
At discharge, any TRO is neutralised using Sodium Sulphite.
Control panels can be sited at any convenient location and need
only the data from sensors and connection to the control valves to
ensure the system is operating correctly.
18. JFE Engineering: NeoChlor Marine
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable to 4,500m3/h
Method: Filtration and Chlorination
This system is almost identical to the BallastAce system described
above and consists of a filter followed by treatment. In this case
with the granular chemical of NEO-CHLOR MARINE. In ballasting
sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate, the Active Substanceof
NEO-CHLOR MARINE, is decomposed into sodium hypochlorite
(hypochlorous acid) and isocyanuric acid upon dissolution with
water. Sodium hypochlorite functions as the disinfectant and
has strong oxidizing power to disinfect and sterilise plankton and
bacteria in the ballast water.
The injection process, venturi tubes and control panels are as for
the previous system.
In deballasting, the Total Residual Oxidants (TRO) are neutralised
and reduced with sodium sulphite before being discharged to the
open sea.
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THE OCEANDOCTOR SYSTEM IS EQUIPPED WITH A SENSOR TO MONITOR THE LIGHT INTENSITY IN THE PHOTO-CATALYTIC REACTION UNIT AND A FLOW METER TO MONITOR THE OUTLET.
19. Jiujiang PMTR Institute: OceanDoctor
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – No
Capacity: Not known
Method: Filtration, UV and AO
The system is composed of a filtration unit, a photo-catalytic
reaction unit, a control unit and the sampling facility..
When ballasting, seawater is filtered by a self-cleaning filter
to remove organisms and sediments greater than 50μm. Then,
seawater flows to the photo-catalytic reaction unit. Here, a double
disinfection strategy with both UV irradiation and photo-catalytic
oxidation is adopted to disinfect the ballast water. The UV light
from the low-pressure lamps irradiates the water directly and
is complemented by the reaction on the surface of the photo-
catalytic reaction film, initiating a series of chemical reactions,
generating hydroxyl radicals.
A supersonic cleaner installed in the photo-catalytic reaction
unit is used for washing and cleaning the sleeves of the UV lamps
automatically. The operation frequency of the supersonic wave is
28 (1±5%) kHz; the maximum output power is 1,500W.
The auto-cleaning function of the filter is controlled by either
pre-set pressure difference or time.
The OceanDoctor system is equipped with a sensor to monitor
the light intensity in the photo-catalytic reaction unit and a flow
meter to monitor the outlet flow in real time. The flow rate of the
system is controlled by the flow control valves.
20. Katayama Chemical: SPO-System
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Scalable to 4,000m3/h
Method: Filtration, chemical (Peraclean Ocean) and cavitation
This is one of two systems developed by Katayama in conjunction
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with others that makes use of the proprietary chemical Peraclean
Ocean. Peraclean Ocean is produced by Degussa and is a stabilised
mixture of peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, water and acetic acid.
After initial filtration and dosing at 80mg/l, the ballast water
passes through a ‘special pipe’ the shape of which rapidly alters the
flow water and induces cavitation which causes traumatic shock to
organisms either killing or damaging them and making them more
prone to the chemical treatment.
The initial version of this system did not include any
neutralisation on discharge but following reports of problems
with the degradation rate of Peraclean Ocean in low temperatures
(resulting in the withdrawal from the market of the German
manufacturer Hamman’s SEDNA system) the makers has since
added such a unit. Neutralisation is carried out if necessary on
discharge by the addition of sodium sulphite.
The application for IMO final approval was denied in 2011
because of the issues relating to residual chemicals but this does
not preclude the maker from future requests for approval.
21. Katayama Chemical: Sky-System
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – No
Capacity: Scalable to 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and chemical (Peraclean Ocean)
This is the second of the two systems developed by Katayama, this
time in conjunction with Nippon Yuka Kogyo. As with the SPO-
System described above, this system makes use of the proprietary
chemical Peraclean Ocean.
After initial filtration, dosing is done at 150mg/l. The special
pipe that was a feature of the SPO-System is omitted and a
neutralisation treatment on discharge has been included from the
outset. Neutralisation is carried out if necessary on discharge by the
addition of sodium sulphite.
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22. Korea Top Marine: KTM
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Scalable to 10,000m3/h
Method: Cavitation and Electro-chlorination
This system does not include any provision for filtration as an initial
step. The first treatment takes place in a so called Plankill pipe
described as comprising of a circular cylinder block in the ballast
pipeline. When ballasting, water flows through the Plankill pipe unit
and organisms are damaged by the physical effects of collision and
turbulence, which helps to increase the efficiency of the electro-
chemical disinfection by the electrolyser unit.
The electrolyser unit of the KTM-BWMS is mounted directly in
the main ballast pipeline.
The power is supplied to the unit by means of a variable rectifier
signalled from system control unit. During operation, the system
control unit monitors the TRO concentration of treated water
automatically with a feedback system for control of the power
supply in order to check the produced amount of disinfectant.
After the electrolyser unit, a ventilation system (degas tank) is
installed to remove hydrogen and chlorine gases produced during
the electrolysis process.
During de-ballasting, the neutraliser unit of the system removes
or reduces the remaining TRO of the treated water to levels similar
to natural seawater concentration by the addition of sodium
thiosulphate.
23. Kuraray: Microfade
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular/Scalable to 4,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and chlorination
This system employs initial filtration followed by chemical chlorine
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BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
92 | APRIL 2014
ON DISCHARGE, NEUTRALISERS CAN BE ADDED IF THE TRO ARE ABOVE THE PERMITTED FIGURE.
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
CLEAN IS SAFE
Free passage on the world‘s oceans.
The 3-stage, highly efficient, and economical Ocean Protection
System OPS complies with the IMO D2 regulation and has the
AMS registration from USCG. The 1st and 2nd stage filter so
finely that all organisms are reliably destroyed in the 3rd
stage by means of specific low-pressure UV radiation. Your
advantages: Fully future-proof. No chemicals, no increased
corrosion, efficient sediment reduction, fast installation, easy
maintenance, low operating costs. And you can continue
to use your existing pumps.
www.mahle-industry.com
Industry
070_Anz_OPS_148x210_GB_310314.indd 1 31.03.14 15:37
dosing with neutralisation on discharge.
The filter unit comprises a number of cartridge filters ranging
from two on the 125m3/h module to 6 on the 625m3/h version.
The system is described as having a superfine filter mesh that is
capable of removing up to 80% of organisms and sediment in the
10-50μm size range. The filter units are equipped with automatic
backflushing. After filtration, the ballast water continues towards
the ballast tanks and on the way is injected with chemicals from
the chemical infusion unit. The system makes use of calcium
hypochlorite in a table form which dissolves in the ballast water and
which is designed to be effective at 2ppm. The level of dissolved
chemical is measured by sensors and the flow rate adjusted to
ensure the desired solutions is obtained.
On discharge, the chemical content is measured and neutralised
if necessary using sodium sulphite. The control system which
measures flow rate, chemical content and doses automatically also
includes a data logger for recording all relevant information. The
system can be used on vessels with ballast requirements above the
flow rate of the 62m3/h unit by making use of multiple modules.
24. Kwang San: En-Ballast
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved –No
Capacity: Not known
Method: Filtration and Electrolysis
Information on this system no longer appears on the company’s
website. It appears to have been abandoned in favour of a UV
system called BioViolet which would appear to be a G8 system.
25. Mitsui Engineering: FineBallast OZ
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: 300m3/h
Method: Filtration, Ozonation and Cavitation
G9 SYSTEMS
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
CLEAN IS SAFE
Free passage on the world‘s oceans.
The 3-stage, highly efficient, and economical Ocean Protection
System OPS complies with the IMO D2 regulation and has the
AMS registration from USCG. The 1st and 2nd stage filter so
finely that all organisms are reliably destroyed in the 3rd
stage by means of specific low-pressure UV radiation. Your
advantages: Fully future-proof. No chemicals, no increased
corrosion, efficient sediment reduction, fast installation, easy
maintenance, low operating costs. And you can continue
to use your existing pumps.
www.mahle-industry.com
Industry
070_Anz_OPS_148x210_GB_310314.indd 1 31.03.14 15:37
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BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
94 | APRIL 2014
After initial filtration through a very fine membrane filter, ballast
water is circulated using a booster pump past an ozone generator
which injects micro bubbles of ozone into the ballast.
The generator produces the ozone from air and not by any
chemical reaction. The oxidation by the ozone destroys cells
with that treatment being reinforced by the ballast water passing
through a special pipe which induces cavitation. The cavitation can
destroy cells directly or damage them making the organism more
susceptible to destruction by the action of the ozone.
On discharge, the water passes back through the filter and on to
a treatment tank where any remaining ozone is removed by virtue
of the water passing over activated charcoal.
An earlier version of the system known simply as FineBallast did
not include the special pipe section of the system.
26. Nutech O3/NK Co: BlueBallast
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular Scalable to 8,000m3/h
Method: Ozonation
This system was developed by US-based Nutech but is
manufactured and marketed by South Korean NK Co which has also
been the requesting party for IMO approval.
Initial filtration is not a feature of this system which relies solely
on ozonation to destroy living organisms. The ozone is produced
from the air by stripping out nitrogen and then cooling the
remaining oxygen which is then passed through an electric field to
produce ozone. The ozone is injected into a side stream diverted
from the main ballast flow and returned to the main ballast stream
where it acts directly on organisms and combines with bromine in
the ballast intake to form further disinfectant chemicals.
On discharge, neutralisers can be added if the TRO are above the
permitted figure.
A control unit measures chemical levels and flows and records
all data concerning ballast operations.
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27. OceanSaver: MkII
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable to 7,200cbm/h per electrodialysis (C2E) skid
Method: Filtration, Electro-chlorination
This is the second system developed by OceanSaver and is in fact a
simplified version of the MkI system not making use of cavitation as
an additional treatment step.
OceanSaver has been able to position the second generation
BWT system in each and every targeted market including crude oil
tankers, LNG and LPG carriers, chemical tankers and medium to
larger bulk carriers.
OceanSaver holds IMO D-2 Type Approval from the Norwegian
Maritime Directorate/ DNV and the DNV Type Approval Program has
been granted to OceanSaver Mark II, in addition the system holds
USCG AMS approval.
OceanSaver’s Mark II system disinfects filtered ballast water using
the onboard generation of oxidants delivered to the ballast flow via
side stream injection from OceanSaver’s C2E sea water activation
unit. This technology provides a mixture of oxidants, mainly that
of hypochlorite, with rapid action and a very short half-life. When
injected into the ballast water, these oxidants are able to eliminate
the unwanted organisms. The process only requires a small dosage
of oxidants compared to conventional electrolysis or oxidising
disinfectants. The amount of residual oxidant (TRO) is also greatly
reduced within a few hours and neutralisation during de-ballasting
is rarely required.
The OceanSaver system has been extensively tested together
with DNV and well reputed coating suppliers, thus far 12 months
successful coating and corrosion tests have been carried out.
OceanSaver currently have a production capacity of 200 ship
sets per year. During this year, OceanSaver will have in the rage of
25 systems in daily use onboard VLCC’s, Suezmax tankers, chemical
tankers and medium sized bulk carriers.
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28. Panasia: GloEn-Patrol
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 150 – 6,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and UV
Adopting a 100% physical treatment technology, GloEn-Patrol™
effectively disinfects harmful aquatic organism and pathogen
in ballast water without producing any toxic substance during
ballasting and de-ballasting. Although approved via the G9 route,
this UV-based system is very similar to others that were allowed
to follow the G8 process. Initial filtration with a 50μm filter with
automatic backflush is followed by treatment by UV irradiation.
Control and monitoring of the system is PLC (Programmable
Logic Controller) based and activates and deactivates the UV lamps
via electric ballasts to maintain sufficient UV dose while conserving
power. The monitoring & control panel offers real time monitoring
of the status of system operation and logs data for use as required.
GloEn-Patrol™ obtained AMS approval as of April 29th, 2013.
In addition, Panasia has already obtained ABS, LR, RINA, RS, CR
type approvals, the Netherlands flag approval, DNV ATEX approval,
G8(nation flag approval), G9(Active substances) and BV . More
approvals including DNV and JG(Japanese Government) are
presently being processed. (As of Feb 10, 2014)
29. Panasia: GloEn-Saver
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Details not available
Method: Filtration and Electrochlorination
This is the second system developed by Panasia and employs
different technology.
The initial filter unit employs 50μm filter elements to remove
large particles and organisms from the ballast water. The system
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uses the filter unit only in uptake operation and returns backflushed
water to its point of origin.
After filtration the some of the ballast is directed to the
electrolysis unit which produces a high concentration of the
disinfectant, hypochlorite generated from in situ electro-chemical
reaction. Besides, seawater or brackish water from the filter, water
from the sea-chest, cooling seawater, or stored seawater can be fed
to electrolysis unit to produce the concentrate of disinfectant which
requires a degree of salinity.
Electro-chemically produced disinfectant is injected into main
stream of the ballast pipe. After injection, disinfectant will be
diluted with ballast water in the piping and pumped to ballast tanks.
During the voyage period, the residual disinfectant will kill marine
organisms and suppress re-growth of organisms. As a by-product of
electro-chemical production of chlorine, hydrogen is generated on
the cathode of the cell and is vented from the system.
If required, neutralisation of treated ballast is carried out at
discharge using sodium thiosulphate in a neutralisation tank.
30. Redox Maritime Technology: Redox
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Not known
Method: Filtration, Ozonation and UV
The system has been developed by the Norwegian company Redox
Maritime Technology in conjunction with investment from French
water treatment specialist Suez Environment. Redox has experience
in treating water for use onboard live fish carriers where disinfection
of seawater is important.
In the system, ballast water is first passed through a filter with
automatic back flushing to keep flow and to avoid pressure drop.
The water then passes through an ozone injector where ozone
from a separate ozone generator is mixed with it. Ozonation has
a high disinfectant rate but to ensure compliance with treatment
standards, the treated water then passes through a UV reactor.
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THE FILTRATION MODULE OPERATES ONLY DURING BALLASTING. AFTER FILTRATION THE BALLAST FLOWS TO THE PLASMA MODULE.
Redox’ experience in wellboat installations will prove useful in
designing high capacity systems. The company has installed a UV
plant capable of treating 40,000m3/h in the world’s largest wellboat.
31. Resource Ballast Technology: RBT
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: up to 4,000m3/h
Method: Filtration, Ozonation Electro-chlorination and cavitation
This system was once marketed by Wilhelmsen as the Unitor
system. An automatic self-cleaning FilterSafe filter removes
organisms larger than 40~50 μm. The filter uses a suction pump to
maintain effective cleaning, even at low pressures and flow rates.
After filtration, ballast water passes to a reaction chamber where
three treatments methods are employed in rapid succession.
First, Electro-chlorination is used to introduce the highly effective
oxidant NaOCl at the very low concentration of 1 ppm. Next, ozone
is generated electrically in-situ from ambient air and injected at a
similar concentration and finally the electrodes are excited at an
appropriate frequency to induce acoustic cavitation, which causes
significant direct disruption of marine organisms. In addition, the
sonochemistry effects of the cavitation enhance the effectiveness
of the Ozone and NaOCl treatments.
Thereactor and pipework can be connected in a variety of
configurations to make best use of available space.
32. RWO: CleanBallast
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 150 – 3,750m3/h
Method: Filtration and Electrochemical disinfection
This is a very popular system occupying a high place among the
market leaders.
Initial filtration is by a series of disk filters. During ballast water
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uptake the raw ballast water is pumped evenly into the parallel
working DiskFilters. Each DiskFilter is equipped with a series of thin
plastic filter discs, which are stacked on several spines. Backflushing
to clean filters is automatic.
The main treatment stage is in the so-called EctoSys unit. The
EctoSys disinfection technology system works both in seawater and
low salinity water. By applying electricity to the special electrodes
arranged in the cell, disinfectants are produced from the water
directly in the piping. Due to the chemical and electrochemical
properties of the electrodes used, they produce – among other
disinfectants – very short-living and reactive hydroxyl (OH) radicals
which eliminate bacteria and organisms.
In water with low salinity, the EctoSys unit produces only
hydroxyl radicals as active substances. The produced hydroxyl
radicals have an extremely short lifetime and therefore give no
response to Total Residual Oxidant analysis.
If brackish water or seawater is treated, the produced active
substances are short-living hydroxyl radicals and chlorine/bromine.
The residual disinfectants chlorine and bromine can be analysed
as Total Residual Oxidants. On discharge the ballast again passes
through the EctoSys unit to remove any regrowth and is neutralised
before discharge if necessary.
The system is highly modular and can be configured in several
variants. RWO also offers a specialist 360º survey of machinery
rooms to identify suitable spaces.
33.Samkun Century: ARA
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Not known
Method: Filtration, Plasma and UV
This system is one of two seemingly identical systems (21Century
being the other) employing plasma technology.
The initial filtration module is composed of a 34μm filter element
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BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
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with an automatic back-flushing function. The filtration module
operates only during ballasting. After filtration the ballast flows to
the plasma module.
The plasma module generates plasma underwater using a
high-voltage generator during its encounter with the ballast water
in the vessel. Then, the high-energy plasma arc produces a pressure
shockwave by dramatic differential-pressure, which destroys
targeted micro-organisms such as zooplankton and phytoplankton
by causing physical damage to their cell membranes underwater.
The treatment by this plasma module generates a shockwave and
air bubbles to increase the mortality on micro-organisms.
After plasma treatment the ballast moves to the medium
pressure UV module which produces hydroxyl radicals to kill and
remaining organisms.
On discharge, the water from ballast tanks is passed through the
UV module before final discharge.
34. Samsung HI: Purimar (see also 32. Neo-Purimar below)
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular and Scalable 400 – 6,500m3/h
Method: Filtration and electro-chlorination
An initial filter unit with 50μm filter elements removes large particles
and organisms from the ballast water. The system uses the filter unit
only in uptake operation and returns backflushed water to its point
of origin.
After filtration the some of the ballast is directed to the
electrolysis unit which produces a high concentration of the
disinfectant, hypochlorite generated by electro-chemical reaction.
Electro-chemically produced disinfectant is injected into main
stream of the ballast pipe. After injection, disinfectant will be
diluted with ballast water in the piping and pumped to ballast tanks.
During the voyage period, the residual disinfectant will kill marine
organisms and suppress re-growth of organisms. As a by-product of
electro-chemical production of chlorine, hydrogen is generated on
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the cathode of the cell and is vented from the system.
If required, neutralisation of treated ballast is carried out at
discharge using sodium thiosulphate in a neutralisation tank.
The modular Purimar system can be configured in many ways
and can be delivered as individual components, assembled and skid
mounted for pre-pared installations or housed in a container unit
for use in hazardous areas.
35. Samsung HI: Neo-Purimar
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – No
Capacity: Modular and Scalable 400 – 6,500m3/h
Method: Filtration and electro-chlorination
This system is essentially identical to the Purimar system described
above the only difference being that on discharge of ballast the
water from the ballast tank is treated for a second time using
electro-chlorination before passing to the neutraliser unit.
Because the system has added a treatment phase, the approval
process needed to be followed anew. Final approval was given in
Oct 2012 and the system is now awaiting type approval.
36. Severn Trent De Nora: BALPURE®
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable and Modular 500 – 10,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and electro-chlorination
The system only treats during the ballasting operation. Ballast water
is first cleared of larger organics and sediments by a 40μm filter with
any material caught by the filter discharged back to local ocean
water, not the sea chest, and away from ballast suction points.
Once filtered, a slip stream of 1% of the total water ballast uptake
is fed to the BALPURE system where the hypochlorite disinfection
solution is generated by electrolysis. The system is pressure boosted
with pumps to provide the required flow rates using variable
G9 SYSTEMS
102 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
BIOCIDE DOSING LEVEL IS VARIABLE AND DEPENDS ON BALLAST WATER CONDITIONS.
ShipInsightBy bringing together the requirements of
regulation and legislation and the information on what equipment and services are being
developed to aid compliance, ShipInsight gives operators the means to make informed decisions
on the best action to take.
Ballast Water, Safety & Survival, Communications, Power & Propulsion, ECDIS, Paints & Coatings,
Fuels & Lubricants , Maritime Software...
To download these guides and more visit shipinsight.com
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frequency drives in conjunction with the flow transmitter which
provides automatic confirmation of proper seawater flow to the
system. The solution of seawater, hypochlorite disinfection solution,
and hydrogen gas (a by-product of the electrolytic process) then
passes through a cyclone separator to safely remove the entrained
hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas is diluted with air using a low
pressure blower to a safe level (less than 1% hydrogen in air, or
approximately 25% of lower flammability level).
The 1% slip stream, now free of hydrogen gas, is then mixed with
the remaining 99% of the main uptake flow and used to disinfect
the entire volume of ballast water. The production of oxidants is
automatically regulated to match the seawater oxidant demand
thus minimising energy consumption. The total ballast water flow is
then transferred to the ballast tanks.
During the de-ballasting process, the presence of disinfectant is
registered to confirm there is no regrowth then the filter is bypassed
and all treated ballast water is discharged. Prior to overboard
discharge a separate and small neutralisation stream of sodium
bisulphite (7.5 litres per 1,000 m3) is added automatically at the inlet
of the ballast pump and any other discharge systems such as aft
peak tank systems. The system control unit features a touch screen
and can store event history for up to five years. Historic data can
be downloaded to the vessel’s integrated alarm and monitoring
system, or if installed as a standalone system, data can be loaded
onto a USB memory stick. The modular aspect of the system means
that on tankers and gas carriers most components can be installed
in non-hazardous areas.
37. STX Metals: SmartBallast
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – No
Capacity: Unlimited
Method: Electro-chlorination
Smart ballast is an electrolysis type system which has been
developed by STX Heavy Industries. It is a one-step treatment
G9 SYSTEMS
ShipInsightBy bringing together the requirements of
regulation and legislation and the information on what equipment and services are being
developed to aid compliance, ShipInsight gives operators the means to make informed decisions
on the best action to take.
Ballast Water, Safety & Survival, Communications, Power & Propulsion, ECDIS, Paints & Coatings,
Fuels & Lubricants , Maritime Software...
To download these guides and more visit shipinsight.com
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104 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
104 | APRIL 2014
system that works without any filtration.
The chlorine produced by electrolysis is sufficient for large
vessels and is produced at a rapid rate during ballasting. Any
remaining chlorine is neutralised during deballasting and again this
is done at a rate appropriate for large systems.
STX HI claims the system has low operating costs because of
low power consumption. Moreover, maintenance and repair is said
to be very simple to effect. The system is suited to both new and
retrofit installations.
38. Sumitomo Electric Industries: Ecomarine
Substance Approval – No
Type approved – No
Capacity: Not known
Method: Filtration and UV
The Ecomarine system is at an early stage in development and
incorporates filter units originally developed by Sumitomo Electric
to separate large plankton and other aquatic organisms. The ballast
water management system then eliminates any remaining small
organisms with a medium-pressure ultraviolet system. This design
ensures power-saving, yet reliable removal of organisms. After shore
testing, shipboard trials were made on the Asuka II, a cruise ship
operated by NYK Cruises.
In late 2013, Sumitomo announced it was forming a consortium
under the name Ecomarine Technology Research Association
with Daiki Ataka Engineering and Hitachi Zosen Corporation. The
consortium aims to develop a low power consumption electrolytic
ballast water management system employing filtration technology
from Sumitomo Electric, electrolysis systems from Daiki Ataka
Engineering and ship design and retrofit engineering from Hitachi
Zosen.
The entire product development process, including type
approval, is due to be finished by the end of fiscal 2014. The three
companies then plan to set up a joint venture company to market
the Ecomarine ultraviolet ballast water management system
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Sunrui BalClor
which is under development by Sumitomo Electric and the newly
developed electrolysis type ballast water management system.
39. SunBo Industries: BlueZone
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Not known
Method: Ozonation
The BlueZone BWMS was developed by DSEC a subsidiary of
Daewoo in conjunction with SunBo Industries which manufactures
offshore modules. The system consists of an ozone generation
module, a mainstream ozone micro bubble module, a neutralisation
module and a monitoring & control module.
During the ballasting procedure, micro sized ozone bubbles are
produced in the ozone generation module and injected through the
bubble nozzle into the main ballast pipe. Ozone bubbles react with
the bromine ions in the ballast water and generate oxidants which
destroy cell membranes. Treated water is stored in the tank and to
ensure safe levels of TRO is neutralised during deballasting using
thiosulphate.
40. SunRui: BalClor
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular 100 – 5,000m3/h
Method: Filtration and electro-chlorination
Initial filtration by an automatic backwashing filter with 50μm
screen to remove marine organisms larger than 50μm is followed
by disinfection with sodium hypochlorite generated by electrolysis.
A small side stream of the filtered ballast water is delivered to
the electrolytic unit to generate the sodium hypochlorite solution
which is then injected back into the main ballast stream to provide
effective disinfection.
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Techcross Electro-Cleen
At discharge, if the TRO level of the treated ballast water is below
0.1ppm, then the treated ballast water can be directly discharged. If
the TRO level is higher sodium thiosulphite solution is added into
the de-ballast pipe to neutralise residual oxidants.
The system is modular with components able to be installed at
convenient locations. For vessels intending to operate in low salinity
waters, a seawater feed tank or alternative method for boosting
salinity can be included into the system.
41. Techcross: Electro-Cleen
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Modular and scalable 1,000m3/h multiple units allow
higher volumes
Method: Electro-chlorination/electrolysis
This system was among the first to gain type approval and has been
in commercial production since 2008.
No filtration is used and the full ballast stream is treated using
electrolysis to produce both sodium hypochlorite and hydroxyl
radical to act as disinfectants. Hydrogen gas produced during
the process is vented. The system is modular and scalable. The
electrolysis units are produced in standard and explosion proof
versions for tankers and gas carriers.
At discharge any TRO are monitored and neutralised using
an automatic neutralisation unit which is available in sizes up to
10,000m3/h to suit the individual installation. The system can be
delivered as components suitable for retrofits, as skid mounted pre-
assembled systems and can also be housed in containers for deck
installations when special circumstances dictate.
In 2013 the system was upgraded with both software and
hardware enhancements. Following experience gained from two
incidents involving the system operating in manual mode when
welds failed due to overpressure of water vapour and gases
caused by continuous supply of power with the isolation valves
shut inadvertently, the manual operation mode has been deleted.
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In automatic mode, there are sensors, alarms and shut-down
functions in place to prevent such occurrences.
42. Van Oord:
Substance Approval – Basic
Type approved – No
Capacity: Not known
Method: Fresh water and chlorination.
The Van Oord system makes use of a novel approach that has been
mooted many times but until now not transformed into reality.
Designed for ships such as dredgers with a minimal ballast capacity
and which do not ballast regularly, the system makes use of potable
water supplied from shore or produced onboard using a fresh water
generator.
Under most normal circumstances, potable water supplied
from shore would not contain any organisms larger than 10
microns, However, in order to meet discharge requirements where
potable water is not available a secondary treatment system using
commercially available chlorine added such that the maximum
concentration of 5mg chlorine per litre of ballast water is achieved
may be needed.
The higher cost of potable water is offset by the much reduced
layout on equipment.
43. Wärtsilä: Aquarius EC
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Scalable and Modular 80 – 1,200m3/h
Method: Filtration and electro-chlorination
An initial filter unit with 40μm filter elements removes large
particles and organisms from the ballast water. The system uses the
filter unit only in uptake operation and returns backflushed water to
its point of origin.
G9 SYSTEMS
108 | APRIL 2014
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
108 | APRIL 2014
AFTER PLASMA TREATMENT THE BALLAST MOVES TO THE MEDIUM PRESSURE UV MODULE WHICH PRODUCES HYDROXYL RADICALS TO KILL AND REMAINING ORGANISMS.
53° 33‘ 47“ N, 9° 58‘ 33“ E
hamburg
scan the QR code and view the traileror visit smm-hamburg.com/trailer
smm-hamburg.com
new in 2014: the SMM
theme days
keeping the course9 – 12 september 2014
hamburgthe leading international
maritime trade fair
8 sept fi nance day
9 sept environmental protection day
10 sept security and defence day
11 sept offshore day
12 sept recruiting day H
MC
- S
MM
– A
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ide
| Dat
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48x2
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Form
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48 x
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| B
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3 m
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HMC_SMM_Image_ShipInside_2014_148x210.indd 1 03.02.14 17:26
After filtration, the generation of sodium hypochlorite solution
takes place in a small side stream taken off the ballast water main.
The electro-chlorination module of the system is used to produce
sodium hypochlorite from seawater and inject it into the filtered
ballast water at a maximum 10ppm to eliminate organisms.
During discharge the filter is bypassed and residual
concentration of TRO in treated ballast water is monitored before
being discharged overboard. If required, treated ballast water is
neutralised by injecting sodium bisulphite into the main ballast line
during discharge. The system’s capacity can be increased by adding
modules in parallel.
44. 21 Century: ARA
Substance Approval – Final
Type approved – Yes
Capacity: Not known
Method: Filtration, Plasma and UV
This system is one of two seemingly identical systems (Samkun
Century being the other) employing plasma technology.
The initial filtration module is composed of a 34μm filter element
with an automatic back-flushing function. The filtration module
operates only during ballasting. After filtration the ballast flows
to the plasma module. The plasma module generates plasma
underwater using a high-voltage generator during its encounter
with the ballast water in the vessel. Then, the high-energy plasma
arc produces a pressure shockwave by dramatic differential-
pressure, which destroys targeted micro-organisms such as
zooplankton and phytoplankton by causing physical damage to
their cell membranes underwater. the medium pressure UV module
which produces hydroxyl radicals to kill and remaining organisms.
G9 SYSTEMS
APRIL 2014 | 109
53° 33‘ 47“ N, 9° 58‘ 33“ E
hamburg
scan the QR code and view the traileror visit smm-hamburg.com/trailer
smm-hamburg.com
new in 2014: the SMM
theme days
keeping the course9 – 12 september 2014
hamburgthe leading international
maritime trade fair
8 sept fi nance day
9 sept environmental protection day
10 sept security and defence day
11 sept offshore day
12 sept recruiting day H
MC
- S
MM
– A
nzei
ge -
Shi
pIns
ide
| Dat
ei: H
MC
_SM
M_I
mag
e_S
hipI
nsid
e_20
14_1
48x2
10.in
dd
4c E
uros
kala
, Offs
et |
Form
at: 1
48 x
210
mm
| B
esch
nitt:
3 m
m
HMC_SMM_Image_ShipInside_2014_148x210.indd 1 03.02.14 17:26
BALLAST WATER TREATMENT
110 | APRIL 2014
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.