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Ballast Water & Oily Water Separators

Suppliers

UP THE ANTE

as BWMC deadline

LOOMS

T
o invest or not to invest? That is the dilemma facing Two other UV-based systems that are currently awaiting
ship owners and operators as the starting date for the USCG type approval are Wärtsilä’s Aquarius UV and Alfa

ratiication of the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Laval’s PureBallast 3.1.
Convention (BWMC) turns into a global guessing game and But UV systems apart, there is a diverse range of new

they try to decide when they need to buy and comply with the technologies on offer. Coldharbour Marine produces an ‘in-tank,
new regulations.in-voyage’ inert gas-based BWT system that has been deliberately

Meanwhile, as the deadline approaches (whether it is designed to it its traditional client base – large tankers, ore
sooner or later), the number of manufacturers and suppliers of carriers, LNG carriers and bulk carriers. “Our BWTS uses inert gas

ballast water management systems and oily water separators and ultrasound shockwaves to treat the ballast water in the tank
and during the voyage,” said Coldharbour Marine’s Commercial
continues to grow in anticipation of a sudden surge in demand
when the date is agreed.Manager, Phil Hughes.

Such market buoyancy was relected in the record 60 orThe system carries out ballasting and de-ballasting
so ballast water treatment (BWT) specialists that exhibited at operations in the normal way while hard-to-kill enteric bacteria

the Posidonia Exhibition in June this year. Vincent Li, Project which do not need oxygen or light to live are killed by inert
Manager of China’s SunRui Marine Environment Engineering, gas-induced ultrasound shockwaves. “Water treated by our

said: “At some point in the near future there will be huge demand BWTS will experience organism regrowth after treatment (as
for retroitting as it is our conviction that the Ballast Water will every other BWT maker’s system) but because we treat

Treatment (BWT) regulations will be ratiied this year. We have in the tank and during the voyage, the treatment cycle can be
been prepared for a pick-up in demand by doubling our capacity.”scheduled to be completed towards the end of the journey

Eirini Vitsara, Marketing and Communications Manager so that the ship always arrives at Port State Control with the
of ballast water specialist Environmental Protection treatment cycle just completed,” added Mr Hughes.

Engineering (EPE), said: “So far we haven’t seen an A newly-launched system that was demonstrated at

exponential rise in demand for our ballast water treatment Posidonia was EPE subsidiary Erma First’s electrolytic cell and
systems however this is likely to change once regulations cyclones technology. This uses an advanced iltration and cyclonic

come into force making such upgrades mandatory for new separation stage to remove large organisms and sediment in
and existing vessels.”combination with an electrolytic cell for the production of free

One deadline owners are in no doubt about is the US chlorine and the elimination of the remaining viable organisms.
Coast Guard’s (USCG) 2014 BWM convention that says the Wärtsilä produces an EC-based (electro-chlorination) system,

ballast water systems of all vessels travelling in US waters the Aquarius EC, which combined with its Aquarius UV product
must be type approved by the USCG. Norway’s Optimarin enables the company to cater for all types of vessel and in every

has developed a US-compliant system that uses UV (ultra kind of water. “In addition to delivering products, we can also offer
violet) irradiation and back lushing ilters to treat the ballast planning of the installation, design, supervision and installation

water. “InlinewiththeUSCG’s‘instantkill’benchmarkour servicesworldwidethankstoourglobalnetwork.Themajor

UV system quite literally kills any potentially harmful invasive challenge is to ind the best choice of product and technology
organisms straight away,” said Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen. for each application and we like to work in partnership with our

Optimarin, which has already passed the USCG’s marine customers so the best technology and installation method can be
water tests, hopes to win the market advantage of the irst planned together,” said Juha Kytola, Wärtsilä’s Vice President for

UV system to gain US type approval.Environmental Services.

24 | The Ship Supplier | Issue 69 2016