HANSA 03-2018

Schiffstechnik | Ship Technology
Revised IMO G8
approval for
»PureBallast 3«
Alfa Laval feels wellpositioned
in the market
of ballast water treatment.
A recent type approval
and orders for its technology
are seen as evidence for the
potential on the path taken
Source: Alfa Laval
It was only a few days ago, when the
Sweden-headquartered company announced
that its »PureBallast 3« is the first
solution to meet the revised IMO G8 testing
requirements. Norwegian-German
classification society DNV GL, acting on
behalf of the Norwegian Maritime Authority,
issued an updated type approval
certificate, »making Alfa Laval the
first supplier compliant with the revised
G8 demands,« according to a statement
of the manufacturer. Anders Lindmark,
Head of Alfa Laval PureBallast said: »Our
customers require future-proof solutions,
which is why certification in compliance
with the revised G8 guidelines has been a
high priority for us.«
The robust revised G8 guidelines are
more in line with today’s stringent U.S.
Coast Guard requirements. They constitute
an important change, derived from
the fact that some systems which were
type approved according to the original
G8 guidelines have failed to meet the
D-2 performance standard when subjected
to additional tests or evaluation.
Customer organizations such as the International
Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
have pushed for the revised G8 guidelines,
seeking to make certain that the
industry’s massive investments in ballast
water treatment will achieve the intended
results – instead of merely adding
hardware.
Alfa Laval admits there is no immediate
need to purchase a system with revised
G8 compliance, because ballast
water treatment systems approved under
the former guidelines can still be installed
until 2020. Likewise, no upgrades
of previously installed systems will be
necessary. »Nevertheless, readiness for
revised G8 compliance shows PureBallast
is a robust solution that will let shipowners
make the most of their investment,«
it is said.
Alfa Laval explains that the company
was early to begin biological efficacy
testing according to the new G8 regime.
Tests with marine, brackish and fresh
water were completed in Q3 2017, along
with additional tests to verify the independence
of results from water temperature.
After review and reporting by DNV
GL on behalf of the Norwegian Maritime
Authority, an approval of the industry’s
first revised G8 certificate was received
– »with only a single sensor added to the
PureBallast 3 hardware and no changes
to its power consumption or flow.«
Earlier this year, the company already
announced that among the owners of
tankers and other large vessels those
choosing UV ballast water treatment
over electrochlorination continues to
grow. According to the statement, orders
for PureBallast 3.1 are totalling almost
90 systems in the range of 1,000 m3/h.
»UV ballast water treatment systems
are challenging the notion that electrochlorination
is the default for large
ballast water flows. Today’s UV systems
compete easily in terms of footprint and
energy efficiency, even at flow rates of
1,000 m3/h or above,« Lindmark said. He
added that the trend towards UV ballast
water treatment technology is evident in
a string of recent orders in the large-flow
range.
All in all, Alfa Laval has sold roughly
1,500 PureBallast systems to customers,
around 500 of which have been for
retrofit projects. ED
66 HANSA International Maritime Journal – 155. Jahrgang – 2018 – Nr. 3