Technical pain points when choosing a ballast water treatment system

On the outset, the choice of available technology is vast and some of the information appears conflicting. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution; no single technical proposition for all ship types and itineraries and no guide on how to do it. And despite efforts to highlight the importance of choosing the right system, competition between suppliers can lead to misinformation and predatory pricing. Ultimately, this mind-set can lead to a ‘fit and forget’ mentality, with suppliers offsetting cost reductions by removing aftercare and ongoing maintenance services. This only has one realistic outcome, and you can bet it won’t be cheap.

While we know that price is a pivotal factor for many decision makers, there are some technical aspects that, when properly considered, can help future proof your investment.

Hazardous zones

Makers have listened to ship operators and have developed systems that address the needs of the owner while delivering compliance. Suitable for larger vessels with higher pump rates, slipstream electrochlorination (EC) installations – as used by the De Nora BALPURE system – are more flexible and less intrusive, while also being cost effective. In contrast, a filter-UV system on a tanker will require a number of components to be installed in the hazardous zone, such as filters and reactors on the main ballast lines, while another complete filter-UV installation will be required to for AFT treatment.

Flexible Installation

Systems with a flexible installation design can generate significant cost savings by reducing the amount of logistical management required, shortening project delivery times and minimising additional engineering requirements.

An EC system made up of multiple sub-assemblies designed to fit through most hatch doors, allowing quick and easy retrofit installations, offers the advantage of a more streamlined installation process. This also allows a flexible footprint to minimise machinery space usage, whilst optimising the use of dead space onboard.

Component parts and ongoing maintenance

On a typical EC system, crews need additional training to clean the electrodes every 8-10 months, most commonly with hydrochloric acid. However, leveraging its knowledge and experience of ‘in situ’ biocide electrolytic disinfection solutions, De Nora has developed a proprietary self-cleaning system for the electrodes, rendering this type of maintenance obsolete. The process is fully automated, eliminating the need for crew intervention. Along-side this, all the component parts are made in-house, avoiding difficulties some manufacturers are experiencing during the current influx of orders.

For more information and discussion of these technical pain points, please join us, alongside panellists Mark Cameron (Ardmore Shipping); Tim Wilkins (INTERTANKO), Guillaume Drillet (SGS), Carsten Ostenfeldt (Anglo-Eastern) and Philip Roche (Norton Rose Fulbright) for our November webinar.

WEBINAR DETAILS

TITLE: Ballast Water Treatment Beyond Certification

DATE: Mon, Nov 25, 2019 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM GMT

PARTICIPANTS: Mark Cameron, Chief Operating Officer at Ardmore Shipping Limited; Carsten Ostenfeldt, Managing Director, Anglo-Eastern (Germany) GmbH; Philip Roche, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright

Dr Stelios Kyriacou, General Manager - Ballast Water Management Systems - De Nora Water Technologies; Guillaume Drillet, Regional Business Development Manager - Marine Services;

Tim Wilkins, Environmental Director, INTERTANKO; Philip Roche, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright; Carsten Ostenfeldt, Managing Director at Anglo-Eastern (Germany) GmbH

Register for the webinar