NAFS SHIPPING MAGAZINE - COVER STORY
Why PureBallast? Reasons to select Alfa Laval PureBallast 3.1 for ballast water treatment Type approved by IMO and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Alfa Laval PureBallast 3.1 is the third generation of the leading ballast water treatment technology. Over 1200 PureBallast systems have been sold to date, including more than 300 as retrofits – far more than any other system. The reasons are simple. First, PureBallast 3.1 offers superior performance in all waters, so that your vessel is free to do business anywhere. Second, it comes from a supplier whose knowledge, resources and experience ensure the best and most cost-effective system for your needs.
Performance and peace of mind
Lowest cost of ownership
Compliance in any waters PureBallast 3.1 complies wherever your vessel sails. The system is type approved and certified by both IMO and the USCG, and it avoids the limitations experienced with other systems. As an example, different ports have different water conditions. While the clear water in Singapore can be treated by almost any system on the market, the waters of Shanghai or Bremerhaven are technically challenging. Many systems cannot comply in these ports or others like them – or will require your vessel to slow its operations significantly. PureBallast 3.1 is unaffected by salinity and can treat fresh, brackish or marine water, regardless of water temperature. Using one of the most effective filters on the market, it removes high concentrations of suspended solids. It also outperforms other UV systems in challenging waters, handling UV transmittance levels as low as 42 %. As a result, PureBallast 3.1 complies in more ports worldwide than any other system.
Cost-saving project management The largest cost of a ballast water treatment system is not the system itself, but rather its engineering and installation. This is especially true in a retrofit project, which can involve many parties and high complexity. Alfa Laval provides experienced project management, built on a decade of installations and over 300 retrofit projects. By working closely with all parties, our team lets you avoid engineering mistakes and delays that can drastically increase your project cost.
Alfa Laval has the technology, knowledge and experience to ensure your compliance. Besides leading in system performance, we have provided biological and technical competence on key panels involved in developing standards and educating the market.
Chemical-free treatment PureBallast 3.1 is a chemical-free system. It neither requires chemicals to operate, nor does it produce chemical compounds during treatment. This means there is no increased corrosion of the ballast tanks, no ventilation needed and no chemical discharge. It also means that your vessel’s operations are simplified. No safety equipment or storage space is required, and there are no supply logistics to consider when planning your vessel’s route. Updated G8 compliance and beyond PureBallast 3.1 is compliant with the revised IMO G8 guidelines, which were developed to harmonize the type approval process and ensure its robustness. The system exhibits superior performance under challenging test conditions, which also safeguards compliance during Port State Control sampling. Your ballast water treatment system will need to meet the discharge standards for as long as you own the vessel. By choosing PureBallast 3.1, you choose a supplier with a century-long track record and a system that has been developed not only to pass the certification tests, but also to comply with discharge standards under real conditions – today and throughout the vessel’s lifetime.
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Your ballast water treatment system should last as long as your vessel, which makes it important to look at its total costs. From installation to operation, PureBallast 3.1 is the costeffective choice.
Durable system construction Materials impact the lifetime and maintenance needs of components. Higher quality increases upfront costs, but it ensures fewer problems and replacement costs over time. This is why Alfa Laval uses high-grade materials for all key PureBallast 3.1 components. In a warm engine room, for example, marine water can easily corrode a UV reactor of 316L steel, creating a replacement need in as little as five years. PureBallast 3.1 reactors are made of 254 SMO steel, a material designed for seawater applications. Likewise, non-corroding bronze-aluminium is used for the filter body. Energy-saving power management In operation, PureBallast 3.1 minimizes energy-related costs. Thanks to its high biological disinfection performance, it runs at just 50 % of its potential operating power in most situations. It can then be ramped up to full power for the most challenging waters. This automatic power management is available whenever running in IMO mode, including when USCG-certified systems operate outside the United States. Easily maintained performance Maintaining PureBallast 3.1 involves little time or cost, and the most important maintenance is automatic. A Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) system keeps the reactor sensors and lamp sleeves free from performance-reducing fouling. In contrast to wiper-based cleaning systems or manual cleaning, the circulation of inexpensive and biodegradable CIP fluid involves no moving parts or risk of scratching the sleeves. The technique prolongs sleeve life while avoiding your biggest potential cost: non-compliance due to degraded performance.