the IHS Ballast Water Guide - RWO Marine Water Technology

IHS Fairplay Solutions 

Guide to 

Ballast Water 

Treatment Systems 

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Sponsored by IHS Fairplay Solutions Guide to Ballast Water Treatment Systems 

Inside your guide... 

4 

6 

10 

12 

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38 

40 

42 

44 

Introduction 

Last-minute wrangling continues to delay implementation 

Regulation timeline 

What is needed and when under the IMO and US regulations 

How systems work 

An overview of the technologies employed in ballast water treatment 

Systems 

Operational methods of most of the systems now available 

Systems status table 

A snapshot of the current approval status of commercial systems 

Implementing a system 

Initial preparations for choosing and installing a treatment system 

Practicalities 

Advice on compiling a system implementation checklist 

Sampling port state control 

Why testing and sampling could prove an obstacle to implementation 

Treatments of choice [RWO] 

RWO describes the development and approval story of CleanBallast 

© IHS Global Limited 2012 3 

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IHS Fairplay Solutions Guide to Ballast Water Treatment Systems Sponsored by 

Introduction 

When ships began using seawater as 

ballast over a century ago it is unlikely 

that anyone foresaw that the practice 

would be blamed for spreading alien 

species around the world’s oceans or that 

ballast would have to undergo treatment 

to prevent species migration. 

But that is exactly what has happened. 

While the shipping industry cannot be blamed 

for every transfer of marine organisms, it 

must recognise it has a duty to protect fragile 

ecologies while continuing to benefi t from the 

advantages that using water ballast can bestow 

on vessel operations. 

Ballast water allows vessels to operate 

effi ciently when empty or part-loaded and 

permits stability to be managed. It can be a 

useful tool that enables underwater repairs 

to be undertaken without drydocking and 

in preventing pollution through altering a 

damaged ship’s attitude in the water. 

The IMO approved the International Ballast 

Water Management (BWM) Convention 

in 2004, which, when enough ratifying 

signatures have been added, will aff ect almost 

all vessels over 400gt. Inevitably, owners 

will face extra costs in complying with the 

convention, mostly without any obvious 

benefi t in return. Nevertheless, careful 

selection of an appropriate system, whether 

as a retrofi t or a newbuilding installation, may 

allow some of the costs to be off set. 

More than 40 systems are at or close to 

commercialisation using one or more methods 

– mechanical, physical and chemical – to 

treat the ballast water. Most will result in a 

big reduction in sediment in ballast tanks, 

benefi ting operators through an increase in 

cargo-carrying ability. The legislation also 

off ers an opportunity to replace ineffi cient 

Malcolm 

Latarche 

Editor 

Owners appear to be 

delaying installation 

while they weigh the 

various options that 

are emerging 

pumping and piping systems, since many 

existing pumps may not be up to the task. 

That the convention remains unratifi ed is a 

combination of some fl ag states objecting to 

the testing and sampling procedures that will 

be used to police the operation and others not 

convinced that suffi cient systems are yet at a 

stage ready for installation on board. Owners 

appear to be delaying installation while they 

weigh the various options that are emerging . 

Manufacturers may off er incentives for early 

orders to recoup some of their R&D costs and 

some have guaranteed that systems still to be 

approved will either be made to comply or they 

will refund the cost should they not do so. 

Operators should also consider carefully 

whether shipyards will be able to accommodate 

the rush to install equipment when the retrofi t 

deadlines arrive. Not only are equipment prices 

sure to rise but also any delay in fi nding yard 

capacity could hit earnings hard. 

4 © IHS Global Limited 2012 

004_BW1204.indd 1 21/03/2012 18:18:59

Untitled-4 1 16/03/2012 12:45:14


Convention 

timeline 

The convention’s timeline has already 

been amended once because of the lack 

of signatures. However, although the 

IMO has indicated that no further 

dispensations will be granted, the 

convention is not yet in force. 

By 1 January 2012 all newbuildings should 

have been delivered with a ballast water 

treatment system fi tted. From that date, 

vessels built since 2009 and falling within 

the rules must install a system by their next 

drydocking. All vessels above 400gt that carry 

ballast water must have a system in place by 

the end of 2016. Between 50,000 and 70,000 

vessels will have to install ballast water 

management systems before 2019. 

For the 2004 International Ballast Water 

Convention to come into full force, it 

must be ratifi ed by 30 countries. This 

goal has been achieved. As of February 

2012, 33 countries representing 

26.46% of world tonnage have 

signed the convention, but it will 

only enter into force 12 months 

after the signatories’ combined 

merchant fl eets constitute at least 35% 

of the gross tonnage of the world’s 

merchant shipping. If any of the 

compliance dates within the convention 

pass before it is ratifi ed they will be applied 

retrospectively if and when that target has 

been achieved. 

Despite mounting pressure from both 

the green lobby and IMO itself, the BWM 

Convention has not yet been fully ratifi ed and 

cannot enter into force without more signups. 

2012 2 2016 2 2019 2 


Photo: Shutterstock 

006_009_BW1204.indd 6 21/03/2012 18:28:26

k 


The countries that have offi cially declared 

their support are Albania, Antigua & Barbuda, 

Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Cook Islands, 

Croatia, Egypt, France, Iran, Kenya, Kiribati, 

Lebanon, Liberia, Malaysia, Maldives, 

Marshall Islands, Mexico, Mongolia, 

Montenegro, the Netherlands, Nigeria, 

Norway, Palau, Republic of Korea, Saint Kitts 

and Nevis, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, 

Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Trinidad & 

Tobago and Tuvalu. 

Under the IMO regulations there are two 

treatment standards. These are designated D1 

and D2. 

D1 is a ballast water exchange (BWE) rather 

than treatment standard. It calls for 95% of 

the water to be exchanged 200nm off shore in 

at least 200m of water or for a pump-through 

of three times the volume of each tank. 

Because no treatment of the water is involved 

it is seen as a temporary method of ensuring 

species transfer is limited, if not eliminated. 

The D2 standard, applicable to 

newbuildings and eventually to all aff ected 

existing ships under a rolling programme, 

requires the installation of ballast-water 

Table 1: IMO Ballast water treatment compliance schedule 

Ballast 

capacity (m 3 ) 

Construction 

date 

< 1,500 < 2009 D1 or 

D2 

≤ 2009 

D2 

≥ 1,500 or 

≤ 5,000 

< 2009 D1 or 

D2 

≤2009 

D2 

treatment systems. Systems must be typeapproved 

and capable of meeting a cleaning 

standard that results in fewer than 10 viable 

organisms per cubic metre if the organisms 

are 50μm or larger, or 10 viable organisms 

per millilitre if they are smaller than 50μm. 

The convention document has a number 

of associated guidelines, some of which are 

now obsolete. However, operators should be 

aware of guideline G4, which covers practical 

matters such as development of the ballast 

water management plan that all ships will 

need to have on board. 

Type-approval of systems follows one of 

two paths depending on whether or not the 

treatment process makes use of an ‘active 

substance’. Active substances – chemical or 

biological biocides – used in the treatment 

process must also be approved by the IMO. All 

systems must undergo tests at a shore testing 

station and on board vessels under operational 

conditions before gaining approval. 

The approval process for a system that 

does not use an active substance is laid down 

in guideline G8; for systems that do the 

procedure is in guideline G9. 

First intermediate or renewal survey, whichever occurs fi rst after the anniversary of the 

date of delivery in the year indicated below 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 

> 5,000 < 2012 D1 or 

D2 

≤ 2012 N/A D2 


006_009_BW1204.indd 7 21/03/2012 18:28:29 

D2 

D2 

D2


Stricter rules in the USA 

The IMO’s Ballast Water Convention will 

eventually apply to most of the world, but 

some countries have indicated that they may 

set their own rules and a few have already 

done so in advance of the ratifi cation of the 

IMO convention. The convention is intended 

to apply globally, but separate though similar 

legislation is making its way through the US 

legal system. 

The USA adopted a unique set of rules 

governing both its own fl agged ships and 

foreign vessels in US ports and within the 

country’s territorial waters. These contained 

diff erences from the discharge standards 

in the IMO regulations. Under United 

States federal rules a two-phase system was 

proposed. In the fi rst phase, the quality 

standards were to be much the same as the 

IMO convention standards. The second phase, 

however, originally proposed for introduction 

in 2016, set far more stringent and highly 

controversial water standards. 

An example of the diff erence between 

the US Phase 2 and IMO convention rules 

was the standard for living organisms larger 

than 50μm. While the IMO (and US Phase 1) 

standards require fewer than 10 organisms 

per cubic metre of ballast, US Phase 2 rules 

set a maximum of one organism/100m 3 . 

In November 2011, after individual US 

states threatened to impose their own 

requirements, federal lawmakers approved 

a single nationwide ballast water discharge 

standard that conforms to performance 

standards set by the IMO. The Commercial 

Vessel Discharges Reform Act of 2011 was 

approved by the US House of Representatives 

on 13 October. It had to pass a vote in the 

Senate before it could be signed into law. 

The legislation amends the federal Clean 

Water Act by prohibiting the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) from permitting 

individual states to impose requirements on 

top of federal standards. The act also requires 

the US Coast Guard (USCG) to set a schedule 

for vessel owners to install ballast water 

treatment technology that has been certifi ed 

to the new standard. 

All ships entering US waters must comply 

with the vessel general permit (VGP), 

which sets out best practices, training and 

documentation rules for 26 incidental vessel 

discharges, including ballasting, deck runoff , 

bilgewater and greywater. Its regulators 

include the US Coast Guard and the EPA. 

Alleging that the VGP violated the Clean 

Water Act by failing to regulate ballast 

Phase 1: Implementation schedule for Phase 1 ballast-water management programme 

Ballast-water capacity (m 3 ) Construction date Compliance date 

New vessels (all capacities) On or after 1 December 2013 On delivery 

Existing vessels < 1,500 Before 1 December 2013 First drydocking after 1 Jan 2016 

Existing vessels 1,500–5,000 Before 1 December 2013 First drydocking after 1 Jan 2014 

Existing vessels > 5,000 Before 1 December 2013 First drydocking after 1 Jan 2016 


006_009_BW1204.indd 8 21/03/2012 18:28:31


Development in USA keeps in STEP 

The Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) is a USCG initiative aimed at encouraging the 

development of treatment systems and shipboard testing. In the words of the USCG, STEP facilitates 

“…the development of effective ballast water treatment technologies, through experimental systems, 

thus creating more options for vessel owners seeking alternatives to ballast water exchange”. 

The STEP programme offers incentives to vessels for engaging in the development and use of 

experimental treatment technologies. A vessel accepted into STEP prior to USCG ballast water discharge 

standards being decided will be considered to have an equivalent ballast water management 

practice in compliance with federal regulations for the life of the treatment equipment or the life of the 

vessel, whichever is shorter. 

Vessels accepted to STEP after the establishment of discharge standards will be granted equivalency 

status to the ballast water discharge standards for 10 years. 

water suffi ciently, environmental groups 

concerned over invasive species sued the 

EPA. A settlement that was confi rmed on 8 

March 2011 stipulated that the new VGP, 

which enters force in January 2014, “will 

include concentration-based effl uent limits 

for discharges of ballast water expressed as 

organisms per unit”. 

In February 2012, New York State dropped 

plans for a ballast treatment rule that was 

deemed unrealistic by shipowners and 

manufacturers alike and could have closed 

the St Lawrence Seaway and the Port of New 

York-New Jersey to most shipping. 

USCG Commissioner Joe Martens of the 

New York Department of Environmental 

Conservation said on 23 February the state 

will support a national ballast regulation 

standard being advanced by the EPA. 

The Canadian government welcomed 

New York’s announcement and agreed that 

uniform standards are the best way to protect 

the marine environment. 

Late in March the USCG published a new 

fi nal ruling on ballast water treatment that 

recognises that the construction dates in the 

initial Phase 1 rules have now passed and has 

amended the implementation requirement 

accordingly. However, the compliance date for 

ships remains eff ectively unaltered. 

This means that new vessels built after 

1 December 2013 must have a functioning 

approved system on board and vessels built 

before that date with a ballast capacity 

between 1,500m 3 and 5,000m 3 will be 

required to fi t one at the fi rst drydocking 

after 1 January 2014. Other sizes of existing 

vessels have two years beyond that to comply. 

The new rule also postpones indefi nitely 

the controversial Phase 2 standards on 

the grounds that independent scientifi c 

advice has shown that they are currently 

unachievable. Higher standards have not been 

entirely abandoned, as the rule allows for the 

existing Phase 2 or other standards in excess 

of the Phase 1 (IMO equivalent) limits to be 

introduced at a future date. 

Whether that happens will depend on 

the performance standards that treatment 

systems are able to achieve. In order to decide, 

regular reviews of the commercial systems 

and developing technologies will take place. 


006_009_BW1204.indd 9 21/03/2012 18:28:31


How systems work 

The technology used to treat ballast 

water has generally been derived from 

other industrial applications, in which 

forms of solid-liquid separation and 

disinfection processes were applied. 

The separation process concerns the 

removal of solid suspended material from the 

ballast water by sedimentation or straining 

by means of a filter. This produces a waste 

stream that comprises backwash water from 

the filtering or a hydrocyclone operation. The 

waste stream is discharged during ballasting. 

Disinfection may be achieved in a number 

of ways. Chemical treatment uses oxidising 

biocides that interfere with the microorganism’s 

organic structure or non-oxidising 

biocides that interact with reproductive 

or metabolic functions. Physico-chemical 

treatment systems use UV light, heat or 

cavitation. Deoxygenation is another method, 

in which the organism is asphyxiated. 

Solid-liquid separation 

The filtration process uses discs or fixed 

screens with automatic backwashing and is 

generally effective for larger particles and 

organisms. The low membrane permeability 

means that surface filtration is not practical, 

so backwashing is required to maintain flow 

because of the pressure drop. 

As a means of removing larger particles, 

hydrocyclones are a good alternative. These 

separate the particles through high-velocity 

centrifugal rotation of the water. 

So, there are three fundamental ballast 

water treatment technologies, which are 

generally combined within one system. These 

are mechanical, which consists of filtration 

or cyclonic separation; physical disinfection, 

comprising ultrasound, ultraviolet (UV) 

radiation, heat, cavitation, deoxygenation, 

and coagulation; and chemical treatment and 

biocides, comprising electro-chlorination, 

ozonation, chlorination, chlorine dioxide and 

advanced oxidation. 

Most systems use a two-stage approach 

involving mechanical separation at the first 

stage, followed by a second-stage physical/ 

chemical treatment, at which some systems 

use a combination of two or more treatments. 

Operational implications, extended 

ballasting time as a result of pressure drops, 

consumables needed and energy requirements 

all need to be assessed. Solutions compares the 

various technologies, each of which has its 

Both filtration and cyclonic separation can 

be improved by pre-treatment in the form of 

coagulation, but this needs extra tank space 

and an ancillary powder to generate the flocs. 

Oxidising biocides 

When diluted in water, chlorine destroys cell 

walls of organisms, while electro-chlorination 

creates an electrolytic reaction using a direct 

current in the water. Both methods are wellestablished 

municipally and industrially, but 

are virtually ineffective against cysts unless a 


010_011_corrected BW1204.indd 10 01/08/2012 15:27:37


own symbol as shown in the key below. 

Descriptions of each of the systems that 

appear in Table 3 are also provided, designated 

with the symbol for its technology type. 

Disinfection by-products are an issue, and 

Treatment technology type and symbol 

Mechanical 

1 Cyclonic separation (hydrocyclone) 

2 Filtration 

Chemical treament and biocides 

1 Clorination 

2 Chloride dioxide 

3 Advanced oxidation 

4 Residual control (sulphite/bisulphate) 

5 Peraclean Ocean 

concentration of at least 2mg a litre is used. 

Ozone gas, which is bubbled through the 

water, is effective at killing micro-organisms. 

It produces a bromate by-product and 

requires an ozonate generator. 

Chlorine dioxide is effective, particularly 

in high-turbidity waters. It has a half-life of 

six to 12 hours, but, according to suppliers, 

can be safely discharged within 24 hours. 

Physical disinfection 

When ultraviolet irradiation is used, amalgam 

they are central to the approval of systems 

that employ an active substance. Generally, 

these systems treat on uptake only, with 

the exception of those that use neutralising 

agents before discharge. 

Physical Ph disinfection 

1 Coagulation/flocculation 

2 Ultrasound 

3 Ultraviolet 

4 Heat 

5 Cavitation 

6 Deoxygenation 

7 Electro-chlorination/electrolysis 

8 Electro-catalysis 

9 Ozonation 

lamps surrounded by quartz sleeves produce 

UV light, which changes the molecular 

structure of the organism and thereby 

prevents it from reproducing. 

The deoxygenation method relies on 

reducing the pressure of oxygen in the space 

above the water by injecting an inert gas or 

inducing a vacuum. The removal of oxygen 

may also lead to a reduction in corrosion. 

If heat is employed to treat the ballast 

water, the water can be used to provide 

engine cooling while being disinfected. 


010_011_corrected BW1204.indd 11 01/08/2012 15:46:53 

Photo: iStock


Systems 

PureBallast 

Alfa Laval 2 3 

One of the first systems to gain approval, it 

makes use of UV to produce hydroxyl radicals 

that destroy cell membranes. PureBallast is 

based on Advanced Oxidation Technology 

(AOT) developed initially by Wallenius. 

The UV lamps that are at the system’s heart 

are housed in modules each containing 24 

lamps. The system is scalable by the addition of 

extra modules as required. Modularity can help 

where space is at a premium, as the units need 

not all be housed in one space. 

During ballasting and deballasting, the units 

create radicals with the help of a catalyst and 

a light source. These radicals then destroy 

the cell membrane of micro-organisms. The 

radicals, which never leave the unit, have a 

lifetime of only a few milliseconds and pose no 

risk to the environment or crew. 

During ballasting a 50µm filter removes 

larger organisms, leaving only the smallest 

to be treated. The system also operates when 

deballasting as a safety measure to kill any 

organisms that may have survived the initial 

treatment. In deballasting the filter unit 

is bypassed. 

The glass of the lamps is flushed using a 

fruit-acid based compoun, which removes any 

sediment that could affect the performance 

of the unit. The lamps are replaceable, but 

the system will operate effectively even with 

several lamps missing. 

PureBallast precisely logs starts, stops and 

other data in accordance with IMO guidelines. 

In this way, the system makes it easy to act 

in accordance with the ship’s ballast water 

management plan. 

AquaTriComb 

Aalborg/Aquaworx 2 2 3 

Working in partnership with Aalborg 

Industries, of Denmark, Aquaworx from 

Munich, Germany, has developed the 

AquaTriComb (ATC) system, which works 

on a purely physical basis without employing 

or generating chemical substances. It is one 

of many systems available that make use of 

ultraviolet radiation. 

Being a modular system (pre-treatment and 

secondary treatment) it lends itself to both 

new and retrofit installations. The system 

is scaleable and comes in sizes ranging from 

250m 3 /h to 4,000m 3 /h. Running two systems 

in parallel operation can increase the flow rate 

to 8,000m 3 /h. 

Micro-organisms and sediment are removed 

from the ballast water during a pre-treatment 

phase using filters to guarantee optimal 

disinfection during the secondary treatment 

phase, which is performed using the effects of 

UV-C radiation and ultrasound. 

Ultrasound is used for automatic cleaning of 

the filter modules and to break down particles 

and micro-organisms, thereby maximising 

the efficiency of the UV treatment. The use of 

ultrasound is said to achieve high and lasting 

efficiency in the filtration and disinfection 

processes. The ultrasound also promises 

extremely effective and permanent cleaning 

of the UV radiators through the removal of 

biofilms and depositions. 

The design of the system, which has 

easy-to-follow menu controls, ensures that 

investment and operation costs, maintenance 

and total energy consumption (approximately 

13kW at 250m³/h) are kept low. 


012_037_CorrectedBW1204.indd 12 01/08/2012 15:29:25


Aquastar 

Aqua Engineering 2 7 

This BWM system has been developed by 

Aqua Engineering of Busan, South Korea and 

has been granted basic approval for the active 

substance used in treatment. 

The process involves the use of a so-called 

‘smart’ pipe and treatment with the active 

substance sodium hypochlorite formed by in 

situ electrolysis of the seawater in a ballast 

water main pipe. 

The compact smart pipe can be installed as 

the main section of the ballast pipe, which 

requires the minimum of space. 

The AquaStar system consists of an in-line 

electrolyser unit, the modules of which can 

be installed horizontally or vertically. The 

electrolyser is controlled from an integrated 

automatic control system unit, which has a 

master and local control unit and incorporates 

the ballast pump. 

Total residual oxidants are neutralised by 

controlled injection of sodium thiosulphate 

from a neutralisation unit during deballasting. 

A rectifier unit and gas separator with vent is 

used during the treatment process. 

The AquaStar system requires the safe 

storage of the neutralising agent sodium 

thiosulphate on board ship in a tank. The risk 

associated with the generation of hydrogen 

gas during electrolysis is being taken into 

consideration during testing. 

The system is marketed in a range of 

models, from the smaller systems suited to 

chemical tankers, bulkers and box ships, with 

ballast pumps rated from 350 to 1,100m 3 /h 

at a total required power of up to 88kW/h, 

to slightly bigger systems for Panamaxes 

and Capesizes, to the biggest models with 

pumps that handle 5,000m 3 /h at a power 

requirement of 300–400kW/h. 

Anolyte 

Atlas-Danmark 2 7 

The ballast water treatment system 

from Atlas-Danmark is named after the 

disinfecting agent, which is a biocide 

mixture. It also uses filtration, and a reducing 

agent, known as Catolyte. 

Its maker describes the Anolyte 

disinfection agent applied in the system as 

“electrochemical activated water”, which 

contains a mixture of reactive molecules 

and meta-stable ions and free radicals. The 

company says the disinfection agent destroys 

itself during the disinfection process, thereby 

ensuring that the environment and the crew 

are not endangered. 

The Anolyte is taken from available tanks 

or those built into the vessel for the storage 

during the period for production of the 

disinfection agent. It is injected into the 

BWTS by a dosing pump that can be located 

anywhere between the Anolyte storage tank 

and the ballast water intake connection. 

The electrolytic cells used in the ballast 

water treatment system act as the Catolyte 

reducing agent. During the process, the 

Catolyte is fed directly to one or more of the 

ballast tanks. After the Anolyte disinfection, 

the Catolyte is said to slightly increase the pH 

value and corrosion resistance in the ballast 

water tanks. 

The ozone and the other compounds in the 

Anolyte are injected during natural flow of 

the ballast pumps and filters. When added to 

the filtered ballast water during the intake, all 

micro-organisms are reportedly killed within 

a few seconds. 

By using a self-cleaning, pre-filtration 

filter of less than 50µm, the Anolyte portion 

is reported to be substantially reduced, 

depending on the filter size. 



Marine &Offshore Fluid Handling Solutions 

Inert Gas based Ballast Water Treatment for Tankers 

• No disruption to ballasting 

or de-ballasting 

• No change to ballast pumps, 

pipes, or power generation 

• Ideal for new build or retro fit 

The only in-tank, in-voyage BWT system 

Email: sales@coldharbourmarine.com 

www.coldharbourmarine.com 

Tel: +44 (0) 1629 888386 

Untitled-7 1 20/03/2012 11:21


CrystalBallast 

Auramarine 2 3 

The CrystalBallast treatment system 

from Auramarine is based on a two-step 

process, with an automatic filter to remove 

sediment and larger organisms followed 

by an intensive medium-pressure UV unit 

to disinfect and destroy smaller plankton, 

bacteria and pathogens. It is a scalable 

system with versions available with flow 

rates varying from 250m 3 /h to 3,000m 3 /h. 

Systems can be run in parallel operation. 

All organisms and particles removed by the 

filter are continuously returned to the sea 

at the ballasting site. The use of automatic 

filtration enables the treatment dose to 

be reduced, leading to savings in energy; 

it also helps reduce the size of the system. 

The automatic filter is bypassed during the 

deballasting operation. 

Ballast water is treated using the complete 

process during ballast water intake and 

re-treated during ballast water discharge 

through the UV reactor only. Re-treatment 

during discharge is necessary to eliminate 

possible regrowth of bacteria in ballast tanks 

due to cross contamination or incomplete 

intake disinfection. 

The CrystalBallast Active Flow Control 

(AFC) system keeps the flow within 

the overall system’s maximum rated 

treatment capacity without the need for 

manual intervention during ballasting or 

deballasting. The AFC also ensures that 

there is adequate counter pressure for 

the filter during the cleaning cycles and it 

controls the ballast water flow during the 

ultraviolet reactor heating periods. The flow 

data is logged in the memory of the ballast 

water treatment system’s programmable 

logic controller (PLC) along with the UV 

treatment information. 

BalClor 

Sunrui 2 7 

The BalClor BWMS from Sunrui treats 

ballast water through pre-filtration followed 

by disinfection using sodium hypochlorite 

solution (an active substance produced by 

an electrolytic process during ballasting) and 

neutralisation at deballasting using a sodium 

thiosulphate solution. 

The water is filtered by an automatic 

backwashing filter with 50µm screen to 

remove most marine organisms. 

For the disinfection stage, a small side 

stream of the filtered ballast water is delivered 

to an electrolytic unit to generate a high 

concentration of oxidants in a mainly sodium 

hypochlorite solution. The oxidants are then 

injected back into the main ballast stream to 

provide effective disinfection. 

As a very effective germicide, the sodium 

hypochlorite solution can be kept in the 

ballast water for a time to effectively kill 

the plankton, spores, larvae and pathogens 

contained in the ballast water. 

For the neutralisation stage the total 

residual oxidant level of the treated ballast 

water is monitored and kept at 0.1ppm. If 

it remains above this level, the neutraliser 

solution, sodium thiosulphate, is added 

automatically into the ballast pipe at the 

deballasting stage to counteract residual 

oxidants instantly. If it is below this level, the 

treated ballast water is discharged ge ged ge di direct directly. ctly. ly 

Blue Seas and Blue World ld 

Envirotech 

2 7 

Envirotech’s BlueSeas and BlueWorld also 

make use of use filtration (50µm), seawater 

electrolysis and sodium thiosulphate 

neutralisation treatment upon uptake. 

Its maker claims the system is energy- 




efficient and compact. With a smaller onboard 

footprint and lower energy consumption, the 

BWMS is expected to appeal to shipowners 

that need to discharge high volumes of 

ballast water in a short period of time using g a 

compact system. 

Gas Lift Diffusion 

Coldharbour Marine 

2 6 

Designed primarily for tankers, UK-based 

Coldharbour Marine’s system operates with 

‘in-tank’ rather than in-line components. 

There are no mechanical filters to block or 

backflush, no additional seawater valves and 

no complex electrical systems. Untreated 

water is drawn into a diffusion pipe from 

the base of the ballast tank, while inert 

gas is pumped into a gas lift diffuser that 

strips oxygen, lowers pH and kills aerobic 

and anaerobic organisms and e-coli through 

hypercapnia and ultrasonics. 

The Coldharbour BWT system uses the gas 

output from the Coldharbour Sea Guardian 

marine inert gas generator (IGG), which is 

linked to specially designed gas lift diffusion 

(GLD) pipe assemblies mounted inside the 

ship’s ballast tanks. GLD technology has no 

moving parts. 

Sea Guardian is designed to generate ultraclean, 

very-low-oxygen inert gas. It is compact 

and largely maintenance-free. During the 

voyage, the output from the IGG is pumped 

by standard marine compressors to the GLD 

units in the ballast tanks where the full 

treatment takes place. 

The GLD units use natural fluid dynamics 

to both stir the ballast tanks and infuse the 

inert gas. The company says the system is able 

to cope with any depth of ballast within the 

tank, and any silt or sediments that may enter 

the ballast tank do not affect GLD operation. 

It is also equally effective in freshwater. 

Blue Ocean Shield 

COSCO 1 2 3 

Blue Ocean Shield (BOS) is a modularised 

ballast water treatment system, designed 

and developed by China Ocean Shipping 

Company (COSCO) Shipbuilding together 

with Tsinghua University. 

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 is fully automatic in terms of its 

cleaning operation. The UV unit employs 

high-output, low-pressure ultraviolet (LPUV) 

lamps to destroy living micro-organisms 

present in the ballast water. 

Ballast water is treated at intake and 

again at discharge. The treatment on intake 

ensures that a minimal amount of viable 

organisms enter the ballast water tanks and 

reduces sediment build-up in the tank. The 

water is treated again at discharge only by 

the UV system to ensure that the potential 

regrowth of organisms in the ballast water 

tanks is decreased as much ch as po possib po possible. ib ible. . 

Ocean Guard 

Desmi 

2 3 8 

The Ocean Guard system from Desmi consists 

of three units. 

First, a filtration unit removes particles, 

zooplankton and large algae, and comes in 




sizes ranging from 40m 3 /h to 5,400m 3 /h. 

For the basic BWTS 300-P30 system 

configuration, where space is a limiting factor, 

a pressurised filter is fitted with a mesh, of 

pore size 30µm, which removes particles 

in order to secure the efficiency of the 

succeeding disinfection step. 

In the second step, water flows through the 

UV unit and is thereby exposed to a high dose 

of UV-C irradiation from low-pressure UVlamps 

to inactivate organisms smaller than 

30µm. The UV lamp units generate photolytic 

inactivating light and photochemical ozone 

generating light. Each unit is capable of 

treating 100m³ of ballast water per hour. 

The UV unit also generates ozone, which 

is used in the third step of the treatment 

process, in which the water passes a venturi 

injector. The vacuum created by the venturi 

injector sucks dry compressed air through 

the ozone generating components via a 

pipeline to the injector for mixing into the 

main ballast water stream. Finally, the treated 

water is directed to the ballast tanks. 

The system is controlled via a touch screen 

and mimic pictures which provide an overview 

of the system. Ocean Guard automatically logs 

all events, alarms, and so forth. 

The system has a capacity of treating 

300m 3 /h, but it can be scaled up to process at 

least 3,000m 3 /h in total. 

ES 

Ecochlor 2 2 

The ballast water treatment system from 

Ecochlor of Maynard, Massachusetts, uses 

chlorine dioxide (ClO2) technology. 

The BWMS from the US-based 

manufacturer uses filtration followed by the 

injection of a chlorine dioxide solution. The 

ClO2 solution is created by chemical reaction 

from mixing precise amounts of purate, which 

is a powder formed of sodium chlorate, with 

hydrogen peroxide and sulphuric acid supplied 

by chemical pumps. 

The ClO2 is drawn into a venturi by the 

vacuum created by the flow of freshwater or 

seawater. The filters must be located close to 

the ballast water pumps, but the module for 

the generation of this solution can be located 

at a convenient place on board. 

Ecochlor is reportedly concentrating on the 

bigger vessels and flow rates. The system is 

said to be able to treat from 1,000 to 10,000 

tonnes of ballast water per hour. 

Type approval was granted to the 

Ecochlor system at the North Sea Ballast 

Water Conference at Europort 2011 on 8 

November 2011 by the Federal Maritime and 

Hydrographic Agency (BSH) of Germany. 

Ecochlor has been accepted into the US 

Coast Guard’s STEP programme. 

Erma First ESK 

Engineering 

Solutions 2 1 7 

Developed by Greece-based Erma First ESK 

Engineering Solutions, the Erma First BWTS 

is described as a robust integrated system 

with low energy consumption and a small 

footprint. It consists of individual modules 

each with a treatment capacity of 100m³/h. 

Treatment is in two stages. 

First, suspended materials and larger 

organisms are removed by means of prefiltration 

and an advanced cyclonic separator. 

Then, during ballasting, electrolysis is used 

to generate active chlorine. Here, residual 

oxidants disinfect any harmful organisms that 

may have been taken on board. 

The levels of chlorine are controlled so that 

even in waters where suspended sediment is 

high, the efficient cyclonic units ensure low 

chlorine demand for the disinfection of the 




micro-organisms. In addition, the electrolysis 

cell’s special coating ensures sufficient 

chlorine concentration. 

During deballasting, residual chlorine 

is neutralised by the addition of sodium 

bisulphite solution. Great emphasis has been 

placed on monitoring and control to ensure 

proper operation and effective neutralisation 

of treated ballast water prior to discharge to 

sea. The control unit logs the status of the 

system, operation, electrolytic cell, selfcleaning 

filter and cyclonic separator. ar arator or or. or or. 

BallastMaster 

GEA Westfalia 

2 7 

Its maker maintains that the BallastMaster 

system requires low amounts of energy and 

has a neutral effect on the environment. 

BallastMaster operates in three stages. 

First, during the filtration phase, ballast water 

is taken on board and passed through a backflush 

cartridge filter that removes particles 

larger than 40µm at up to 1,000m 3 /h. In the 

second stage, disinfection, an active substance 

is added directly into the pipe leading to the 

ballast tank. 

An oxidate created on board using 

electrolysis is used as a disinfectant. This 

is produced from a simple sodium chloride 

solution, consisting of common salt and 

freshwater, and is added to the ballast water 

that has been taken on board. 

The oxidate breaks down into its original 

ingredients when exposed to ultraviolet 

radiation, which makes the substance 

inactive. Any possible after-effect of the 

processing is counteracted in the third 

stage, neutralisation. As the ballast water is 

discharged, a sulphur-based neutralisation 

agent is added, if required, to reduce the total 

residual oxidants (TRO) content to below 

the level of 0.2ppm specified by the IMO. 

An important point is that the system 

works with low energy and operating costs. 

The installation of a plant with a capacity of 

500m3 /h is said to require an electrical current 

of less than 8kW, most of which appears to be 

required for the electrolysis of the he dis disinfectant. is isinfe fectan an ant. 

SEDNA 

Hamann 

2 1 

The SEDNA system developed in Germany 

by Hamann was one of the first systems to be 

given full approval in 2008. 

Physical separation is in two stages: a 

hydrocyclone followed by a compact, selfcleaning 

filter with 50µm meshes. The 

cleaning of the filter is triggered by the 

differential pressure. During backflushing the 

filter elements are cleaned one by one with 

seawater without addition of any cleaning 

substances. When backflushing the ballast 

water operation continues at a slightly 

reduced flow rate. 

The system can be adapted to different 

ballast water pump capacities, ranging in size 

from 200m 3 /h to 1,000m 3 /h for individual 

installations. Ballast water pump capacities in 

excess of 1,000m 3 /h are said to be possible. 

In addition to physical treatment, the 

system makes use of Peraclean Ocean (a 

chemical substance developed by Evonik- 

Degussa). This substance has created problems 

for the system because although it performs 

as expected under most circumstances, 

at extremely low sea temperatures and in 

freshwater it does not degrade and so can 

remain active in the environment. 

The fully approved ballast water treatment 

system was withdrawn from the market 

after concerns were expressed that the active 

substance it uses could remain toxic after 

discharge. Under pressure from the German 

authorities, further tests were carried out 




on the product towards the end of 2009 and 

the results persuaded Hamann that it should 

withdraw it. 

The existing patents of the SEDNA system 

will be maintained and Hamann has indicated 

it will further develop the system em in time time. me. 

Aquarius 

Hamworthy/Hanovia 

The Aquarius system from 

Hamworthy and Hanovia employs 

filtration followed by disinfection 

using ultraviolet light 

2 3 

The Aquarius-UV system follows a twostage 

process with filtration followed by 

disinfection using ultraviolet light, and so 

does not use any active substance. Because 

there is no detrimental effect on water 

quality, ballast water can be safely discharged 

from the ballast tank at any time. In addition, 

to ensure maximum disinfection, ultraviolet 

treatment is utilised during the discharge 

cycle, as well as during ballasting. 

In developing the Aquarius-UV system, 

Hamworthy has formed a strategic partnership 

with UK-based Hanovia, a specialist in 

UV system design and manufacturing. 

Hamworthy has assumed overall responsibility 

for performance compliance against the 

required regulatory standards, with the UV 

system being an essential component to 

integrate with Hamworthy’s ballast water 

management solution. 

Hamworthy is also marketing its 

Aquarius-EC Ballast Water System, which 

similarly employs a two-stage approach, 

but in this case disinfection uses an active 

substance, generated using side-stream 

electro-chlorination. 

Hamworthy is 

collaborating with 


012_037_CorrectedBW1204.indd 19 01/08/2012 15:32:26 

Photo: Hanovia


Magneto Special Anodes for the development 

of advanced electrolysis technology. Upon 

de-ballasting, the system neutralises any 

remaining active substance using sodium 

bisulphite, ensuring that the ballast water can 

be safely discharged back to the sea. 

The Aquarius systems achieve filtration 

using automatic backwashing screen filter 

technology. The filter is designed specifically 

for ballast water applications and filters 

particulates down to 40µm. Operation of 

the filter includes automatic backwashing to 

ensure efficient removal of particles that are 

discharged back to the environment of origin; 

the systems are PLC-controlled with userfriendly 

touchscreen operation. All relevant 

data is stored by the programmable logic 

controller in line with IMO requirements 

and the system can be fully integrated into 

the main control system to achieve complete 

ballast water management on board ship sh ship. ip. ip 

ClearBallast 

Hitachi 

1 2 

The ClearBallast ballast water purification 

system was developed jointly by Japanese 

industrial giants Hitachi Plant Technologies 

and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It uses 

coagulation technology to remove plankton 

and organisms, and magnetic separation 

equipment to remove algae. 

The coagulation method differs from 

sterilisation techniques, in that it does 

not use chlorine, UV rays or disinfectants, 

thus removing the possibility of secondary 

contamination by residual chlorine. 

Seawater taken in is treated by adding 

a coagulant and magnetic powder in 

coagulation and flocculation tanks. Agitation 

of the water causes plankton, viruses and 

mud to coagulate into 1mm-wide magnetic 

flocs. These can then be collected with 

magnetic discs in a magnetic separator. 

Treated water is filtered through a filter 

separator and injected into the ballast tanks. 

The coagulation of micro-organisms into small 

flocs enables the use of coarse filters, which is 

claimed to result in high-speed treatment. 

The flexible design is suitable for a wide 

range of capacities and can be modelled to fit 

the space available. Mud accumulation is said 

to be greatly reduced, thereby prolonging the 

life of the coating of the ballast tank. 

k. 

Guardian 

Hyde Marine 

2 3 

Destruction of micro-organisms by US-based 

Hyde Marine’s Guardian is achieved using 

medium-pressure UV, with a separation 

unit consisting of a stacked disc filter 

with automatic backflushing. This can be 

complemented by a Hyde Mud Remover 

dosing unit, which contains a liquid cationic 

polymer that is considered to be nonhazardous 

and non-toxic. 

The system works on the principle of 

flocculation, attracting mud particles into 

flocs, which do not pack down in the ballast 

tanks as natural sediment does and which are 

easily flushed away during deballasting. 

The polymer is injected into the ballast 

piping during ballasting from a tank of 

between 250 and 500 litres capacity 

depending on the size of the ship. The 

injection systems can be supplied in 

automatic or semi-automatic versions. The 

Hyde Guardian system is of modular design 

and the two main units – the filter and the 

UV treatment chamber – can be installed 

separately or as a skid-mounted system. 

A control panel controls the system’s two 

main components and the booster pumps 

and valves. During ballasting, the ballast 

water passes through the filter and UV 




system and then back to the main ballast 

pipeline. During deballasting, the filter is 

bypassed and only the UV treatment is used 

to kill any remaining organisms. 

The stacked disc filter unit can store large 

amounts of solids. These are removed by 

means of automatic backflushing, which 

keeps the filters clean while still allowing a 

continuous flow. 

Type Approved models are available for 

ballast flow rates from 60m3 /h to 6,000m3 /h 

for vessels of various types and sizes sizes. es es. 

EcoBallast 

Hyundai HI 

2 3 

By not using or producing any kind of 

chemicals, the EcoBallast system developed 

by Hyundai HI causes no secondary 

environmental contamination. This system 

treats ballast water at uptake, which is 

advantageous because it reduces sediment 

built-up and the potential for survival and 

growth of organisms, and again at discharge. 

The modular BWTS, which has undergone 

full-scale testing at 200m 3 /h, comprises a 

50µm filter with automatic backflushing; 

one or more helix UV reactors that can 

accommodate higher flow rates more 

efficiently, a high-intensity, medium-pressure 

ultraviolet lamp and a control and cleaning 

unit (flow meter and alarms). 

Although no chemical compounds are used 

or added to disinfect the ballast water, the 

effects of UV irradiation are categorised as the 

active substance. 

The system is operated by means of a 

programmable logic controller installed in a 

control panel. The filter substantially reduces 

the sediment load in the ballast water. The 

ultraviolet reactor was specially designed for 

the ballast water treatment application to 

maximise the efficiency of the system. 

HiBallast 

Hyundai HI 2 7 

The HiBallast system from Hyundai HI is 

described as producing a high concentration 

of the disinfectant, sodium hypochlorite 

(NaOCl), by feeding a portion of the ballast 

water to an electrolyser module. The 

disinfectant is directly injected into the 

ballast pipe during ballasting. A reducing 

agent is injected into the deballasting pipe 

to remove any remaining oxidant from the 

hypochlorite concentration which could 

possibly have an unwanted effect on the 

marine environment when discharged 

without neutralisation. 

Filtration is optional and installation of 

a 50µm filter improves the efficiency of 

the electrolysis unit. A side-effect of the 

electro-chemical production of chlorine is 

the generation of hydrogen. Because the gas 

is highly explosive, it needs to be properly 

vented. Accordingly, a specially devised 

vent system is employed which uses a water 

eductor that discharges the generated gas 

overboard with discharged ballast water. 

Because the electrolyser and piping are 

exposed to the generated high concentrations 

of oxidative disinfectant, comprehensive 

long-term, land-based corrosion tests are 

required. The possible leakages of high 

concentration of disinfectant require 

adherence to an emergency y pr procedures to 

prevent human exposure. re. . 

BallastAce 

JFE Engineering 

2 5 1 

BallastAce from JFE Engineering of Japan is 

a ballast water treatment system that uses 

filtration, chlorination and cavitation. 

During ballast water uptake, water is 

pumped into a filter where large plankton are 




removed and, at a certain pressure, backwash 

is discharged. Water is oxidised by means of an 

active substance, TG Ballastcleaner (developed 

by the Toagosei Group), in a dosing unit. 

Then, a Venturi-tube cavitation unit 

destroys plankton and bacteria before passing 

the water into the ship’s ballast tanks. 

During the discharge of ballast water, 

ballast pumps direct the water past another 

dosing unit containing the active ingredient TG 

Environmentalguard, which reduces residual 

chlorine before the water reaches the se sea. 

MicroFade 

Kuraray 

In the MicroFade BWTS from Kuraray microorganisms 

are removed during the front-end 

process through high-precision filtration. 

Sufficient amounts are filtered out in the first 

stage to make it possible to effect a substantial 

reduction in the amount of active substances 

in the second-stage chemical treatment, 

during the post process. 

While ballasting is taking place, seawater 

is drawn into the system and passed through 

a filtration unit. The unwanted organisms 

are removed by the filters and discharged 

overboard, as filtered seawater proceeds 

through the system. 

Active substances are automatically 

injected into filtered ballast water by a 

chemical infusion unit. The disinfected 

seawater, infused with the active substance, 

passes to the ballast water tank. 

During the deballasting process the 

levels of residual chloride concentration 

are measured and neutralisers are added 

automatically as required. A neutralising 

agent is infused when the chlorine level is 

too high. The treated ballast water is then 

discharged overboard. 

An energy-saving operation is achieved 

2 

by means of Kuraray’s special filters with 

low-pressure requirements, which enables 

the MicroFade system to use existing power 

generators and ballast pumps. The compact 

design of the system’s primary components 

(filtration unit and chemical infusion unit) 

allows for space to be conserved. 

As it requires neither precise temperature 

control nor a large-sized tank, the system 

also helps reduce power consumption and 

conserve space. These savings derive from the 

utilisation of solid chemical agents that can be 

stored at room temperature. 

En-Ballast 

Kwang San 2 7 

The En-Ballast BWMS from Kwang San, 

based in Busan, South Korea, combines 

three modules for filtration, electrolytic 

disinfection and neutralisation. 

The filtration module consists of a 

50µm filter element with an automatic 

backflushing function, removing the larger 

particles and organisms from the seawater. 

It is fully automatic in terms of its operation 

and cleaning without interrupting the 

filtration process. Backflushed water is 

returned into the sea in situ. This filter 

operates only during ballasting. 

The removal of larger organisms and 

particles by filtration reduces the amount of 

sodium hypochlorite required for disinfection. 

The electrolysis module generates sodium 

hypochlorite directly from seawater without 

the addition or mixing of other chemicals, 

before the water enters the ballast tanks. 

This module comes in various models with 

different capacities, ranging from the Enballast-500, 

which works at a rate of 500m 3 /h 

at a power of 35kW to the En-ballast-5000 

which processes at 5,000m 3 /h at 260kW. 

During the deballasting process, total 




residual oxidants in the water coming from 

the ballast tanks are neutralised by sodium 

thiosulphate, which is injected from the 

neutralisation module. 

The system is compact, can be designed as 

a skid-type version and straightforward to 

configure and install in a limited ed spa space. pa pace. pa pace ce. 

Ocean Protection 

Mahle 

2 3 

The Ocean Protection System (OPS) is a 

modular product that makes use of filtration 

and ultraviolet. 

The two-phase pre-treatment filtration 

system is described by the company as 

low maintenance and configurable for 

different flow volumes from 250m 3 /h up 

to 2,000m 3 /h. It can be operated either as 

a compact, container-housed unit or can be 

adapted to suit the vessel’s design and layout 

making use of available space. The filtration 

stages have automatic self-cleaning. 

The first filtration phase uses the pressure 

differential of around 1.2bar induced in 

the ballast water stream by means of a disc 

attached to a pneumatic cylinder. This forces 

any coarse sediment and organisms to the 

outer edges of the flow, where they are 

removed by means of a flush valve. 

The cleaned water is then redirected to 

the second stage of the filtration system . In 

this the smaller particles are removed using 

a 50µm filter element, which is regularly 

backflushed to keep it clean. 

The ballast water passes to a low-pressure 

UV radiation unit where the DNA of any 

remaining organisms is destroyed. The UV 

light is mostly in the 254-nanometre range. 

Treated ballast water passes back and forth 

between the ultraviolet radiation unit and 

the ballast tanks before being passed out of 

the OPS system. 

BAWAC 

Maritime Assembly Systems 3 

Germany-based Maritime Assembly Systems 

followed the G8 process with its BAWAC 

system. Land-based testing took place in a 

testing station in Singapore. The prototype 

500m3 /h BAWAC used seven fluid-cooled, 

metal steam UV lamps. 

A helix structure around the lamps ensures 

the water remains in the UV treatment area 

for longer than in straight-pass systems, 

distributes the light evenly. It also provides 

vibration damping for the quartz components. 

The seven burners are composed of 

three components. First, there is the highperformance, 

long-life burner itself, which 

has low energy consumption. The burner is 

surrounded by quartz glass, which supplies 

it with cooling fluid. The rotating helix 

component distributes the light. It is driven 

by ballast water, providing indirect cooling of 

the burner and mechanical damping of the 

quartz glass body. Wiper blades in the helix 

are pressed against the quartz glass cylinder 

hydraulically as water passes through th the 

BAWAC, cleaning the system. 

MH Systems 

California-based MH Systems uses a 

combination of two treatment systems, 

deoxygenation and carbonation. 

An inert gas generator (IGG) is at the heart 

of the BWTS from MH Systems. The inert 

gas – which consists of 84% nitrogen, 12- 

14% CO 2 and around 2% oxygen – is bubbled 

through the ballast water by means of a row 

of diffusers with downward-pointing nozzles 

placed at the bottom of the tank. 

IGGs infuse the ballast water with inert 

gas bubbles until it attains a state of hypoxia, 

with a pH of nearly 5.5. The gas infusion 



3


Table 3: Current approval status of ballast water treatment systems 

Manufacturer and system name Active substance Substance approved Type approved Website 

Alfa Laval (Pureballast) Yes final 27/06/08 www.alfalaval.com 

Aalborg/Aquaworx (AquaTriComb) No n/a No www.aquaworx.de 

Aqua Engineering (Aquastar) Yes final No www.aquaeng.kr/eng 

Atlas-Danmark (Anolyte) Yes No No www.atlas-danmark.com 

Auramarine (Crystal) Yes No No www.auramarine.com 

BalClor (formerly Sunrui BWMS) Yes final 28/01/11 www.sunrui.net 

Envirotech (BlueSeas) Yes basic No 

Envirotech (BlueWorld) Yes basic No 

Coldharbour Marine No n/a No www.coldharbourmarine.com 

COSCO (Blue Ocean Shield) No final 16/02/11 www.cosco.com.cn 

DESMI (Ocean Guard) Yes basic No www.desmioceanguard.com 

Ecochlor Yes final 8/11/11 www.ecochlor.com 

Erma First ESK Engineering Solutions Yes final No www.ermafirst.com 

GEA Westfalia (BallastMaster) Yes basic No www.westfalia-separator.com 

Hamann (SEDNA) 1 Yes final 10/06/08 www.hamannag.com 

Hamworthy (Aquarius) Yes basic No www.hamworthy.com 

Hitachi (ClearBallast) Yes final 05/03/10 www.hitachi-pt.com 

Hyde Marine (Hyde Guardian) No n/a 30/04/09 www.hydemarine.com 

Hyundai HI (EcoBallast) Yes final No english.hhi.co.kr 

Hyundai HI (HiBallast) Yes final 15/07/11 english.hhi.co.kr 

JFE Engineering (BallastAce) Yes final 25/03/11 www.jfe-eng.co.jp 

Kuraray (MicroFade) Yes final No www.kuraray.co.jp/en/ 

Kwang San (En-Ballast) Yes basic No www.kwangsan.com 

Mahle NFV (Ocean Protection) No n/a 29/04/11 www.mahle.com 

Maritime Assembly Systems (BAWAC) No n/a No www.mas-wismar.com/en/ 




Current approval status of ballast water treatment systems (continued) 

Manufacturer and system name Active substance Substance approved Type approved Website 

MH Systems No n/a No www.mhsystemscorp.com 

Mitsui Engineering/MOL/MOL Marine 

Consulting (FineBallast) 

Yes final No www.mitsui.co.jp/en/ 

NEI Treatment Systems No n/a 11/10/08 www.nei-marine.com 

Nutech O3/NK Co (BlueBallast) Yes final 31/10/09 www.nutech-o3.com 

OceanSaver Mark I Yes final 15/04/09 www.oceansaver.com 

OceanSaver Mark II Yes final 3/01/2012 www.oceansaver.com 

OptiMarin (OBS) No n/a 12/11/09 www.optimarin.com 

Panasia (GloEn-Patrol) Yes final 4/12/09 www.pan-asia.co.kr 

Peraclean Ocean (Sky-System) Yes basic No 

Qingdao Headway (OceanGuard) Yes final 18/03/11 www.headwaytech.com 

RBT/Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions 

(Unitor) 2 

Yes final 31/08/10 www.wilhelmsen.com 

RWO (CleanBallast) Yes final 01/09/10 www.rwo.de 

Samsung HI (Neo-Purimar) Yes final No 

Severn Trent de Nora (BalPure) Yes final 15/07/11 www.severntrentservices.com 

Siemens (SiCURE) Yes final No www.water.siemens.com 

(Mitsui) Special Pipe Hybrid – Ozone Yes final No www.mitsui.com.jp/en/ 

Techcross (Electro-Cleen System) Yes final 31/12/08 www.techcross.com 

(Samsung HI) Techwin Eco (Purimar) Yes final 15/07/11 www.digitalvessel.com 

Wärtsilä/Trojan Technologies Aquafine 

(TrojanUVLogic) 

No n/a No www.trojanuv.com 

Wuxi Brightsky Electronic (BSKY) n/a final 28/03/11 

21st Century (ARA Ballast, formerly 

Blue Ocean Guardian BWMS) 

Notes 

1 Hamman has suspended production of the SEDNA system. 

2 Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions has withdrawn the Unitor system 

from the market. 

Yes final 16/02/11 www.21csb.com/ 

www.samkunok.com 




is controlled by remote automated control 

system of valves, which can permit the tanks 

to be treated sequentially or all at once. 

Sensors detect the amount of dissolved 

oxygen in the ballast water and the pH level 

of each tank, and relay the information to a 

central control station. 

This inert gas has all the ingredients 

necessary to combine the two treatments of 

hypoxia and carbonation at what is claimed as 

a very reasonable cost, as analysis has shown 

that given the flow rates and control time for 

hypoxia carbonated conditions, the gas needs 

only a short contact time to be effective. 

Fine Ballast 

Mitsui Engineering/MOL/ 

MOL Marine Consulting 

The system employs the synergistic effect of 

chemical treatment by the oxidation power 

of the active ingredient ozone and physical 

treatment using a specially designed pipe 

placed in the ballast water piping lines. 

The organisms are killed off once only, at 

the time the ballast water tanks are filled. 

The system extracts the required amount 

of ozone from the air. As the right amount 

is produced, MOL maintains there is no 

requirement for a chemical agent for ozone 

supply or storage. 

Micro bubbles of ozone are injected into 

the system, which achieves high efficiency 

levels for absorption and contact against the 

plankton and bacteria. Harmful substances 

remaining in ballast water are extracted by 

activated charcoal, which has no impact on 

the environment. 

The system was audited according to G8 

guidelines. Certification involved a full-scale 

land-based test of the system carried out by 

Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding and other 

participant companies together with an 

8 

onboard test on the MOL-operated container 

vessel MOL Express. 

The system acquired the final approval under 

G9 guidelines at the end of September ptembe be ber 2010 20 2010. 10 10. 

VOS 

NEI Treatment Systems 

6 5 

Venturi oxygen stripping (VOS) methodology 

and an inert gas generator (IGG) are employed 

in NEI’s system. The very-low-oxygen inert 

gas is educed into unfiltered influent ballast by 

means of venturi injectors. 

When exposed to the low-oxygen gas, 

dissolved oxygen in the ballast water is 

stripped out of solution, leaving the ballast 

water deoxygenated and effectively sterilised. 

When deballasting, ballast tanks are filled 

with inert gas to maintain them as a lowoxygen 

environment. This actively reduces 

corrosion and coating breakdown in the 

ballast tanks. 

The VOS system can be installed aboard any 

type of vessel. For a 1,000m 3 /h system, the 

system has a footprint of approximately 4m 2 , 

while a 4,500m 3 /h system has a footprint 

of approximately 10m 2 . It does not require 

filters or chemical addition and can handle 

very large flow rates without large power 

usage –


BlueBallast 

Nutech O3/NK Co 8 

The BlueBallast system from Arlington, 

Virginia-based Nutech O3 injects ozone 

into a ship’s ballast water, as it is taken onboard 

the ship. In seawater, the ozone will 

kill approximately half the invasive species 

on contact. The ozone also interacts with 

chemicals that naturally occur in seawater to 

create various bromine compounds that kill 

the remaining invasive species. 

Ozone, as a gas, is not stored on the 

vessel but is made by taking ambient air 

and stripping out the nitrogen, cooling it, 

thereby concentrating the oxygen. It is 

then hit with a 10kV charge of electricity 

which converts 10% of the concentrated 

oxygen into ozone. The ozone is immediately 

injected into the ballast water intake pipe as 

the water is taken on board. 

Once it is injected into the ballast water, 

the ozone reverts to oxygen within just five 

seconds. Before it reverts to oxygen, 

however, the ozone converts 

bromine, which occurs 

naturally in 

Mark II OceanSaver is now ready 

seawater, into hypobromous acid. 

Trace quantities of bromine compounds, 

known as total residual oxidants (TRO) prove 

to regulatory authorities that the ballast water 

has been properly treated. Testing for TRO is 

a straightforward process that can be handled 

by most crew members. 

To avoid any possibility of accidental 

damage, the oxygen storage tank is located in a 

protected space. As an extra safety precaution, 

the system’s pipes are flushed with ambient air 

each time the system is shut dow down. own. 

Mark I and II 

OceanSaver 

2 5 6 

Treatment of ballast water in Norwegian 

supplier OceanSaver’s system is carried out 

by means of cavitation and nitrogen supersaturation. 

This is combined with filtration 

and disinfection. The low level of dissolved 

oxygen resulting from nitrogen injection 

prevents potential regrowth during the 



Photo: OceanSaver


voyage and also reduces the risk of corrosion 

in the tanks. 

On 3 January 2012, DNV granted type 

approval to the Mark II model of OceanSaver, 

which is a tailored version of the already type 

approved Mark I model, but with the most 

‘energy demanding’ features of the Mark I 

model removed. The Mark II model introduces 

better-performing filtration technology and 

reduces piping installation, which saves both 

time and money. 

Previously focusing mostly on the 

larger-sized vessel segment, OceanSaver 

is positioning Mark II as a cost-effective 

solution for the medium-range vessel market, 

thus expanding its client base. 

OceanSaver’s focus is not only on 

procurement costs, but on Mark II’s entire 

lifecycle costs, including spare parts, energy 

consumption and manpower. The energy 

required for the complete system and related 

equipment is 50% less for Mark II compared mp 

with Mark I. 

OBS 

OptiMarin 

2 3 

The Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) is based 

on filtration as pre-treatment and high doses 

of ultraviolet irradiation for inactivation of 

marine organisms. 

The OBS does not use or generate 

chemicals or biocides in its treatment or 

cleaning processes. Ballast water is treated 

both during ballasting and deballasting to 

ensure the dual UV effect. Ballast water is 

filtered only during ballasting. 

The system is normally installed as close as 

possible to the ballast pumps. The modular 

system is flexible, with a relatively small 

footprint and weight, and will fit vessels of 

different kinds and sizes. 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 3,000m3 /h (or higher upon request). 

The MicroKill UV chamber has one UV 

lamp, with a flow rate of 167m3 /h, which can 

be installed in parallel on a single manifold for 

higher flows. 

The chamber is specifically developed and 

manufactured for installation aboard ships. 

It is self-cleaning, with no moving parts or 

need for chemical cleaning. There is a UV and 

temperature sensor in each chamber. 

Optimarin offers two 40µm filters: BSF 

MicroKill basket type and B&K MicroKill 

candle type, both of which have automatic 

backflushing and are self-cleaning. ning ng ng. 

GloEn-Patrol 

Panasia 

2 3 

A 100% physical treatment technology has 

been adopted by Panasia of South Korea for 

its BWMS GloEn-Patrol, which eliminates 

harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens 

in water without generating any toxic 

Control panel of 

GloEn-Patrol 

system 



Photo: Panasia

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 future 

standards relating to ballast water treatment. The 1 st and 2 nd 

stage filter so finely that all organisms are reliably destroyed 

in the 3 rd stage by means of specific low-pressure UV radi- 

ation. Your advantages: Fully future-proof. No chemicals, no 

increased corrosion, efficient sediment reduction, fast instal- 

lation, easy maintenance, low operating costs. And you can 

continue to use your existing pumps. 

www.mahle-industrialfiltration.com 

TYPE APPROVED BY GERMAN ADMINISTRATION – BSH 

Industry 

Untitled-4 1 20/03/2012 10:10


substances during ballasting and deballasting. 

The system combines filter and UV units, 

employs backflushing and is cleaned by 

automatic wiping. The filter unit maximises 

the disinfection effect of the UV unit by 

improving transmittance of UV light. The 

filter not only eliminates organisms larger 

than 50µm, but also minimises sediment in 

the ballast tanks. 

Water enters through the inlet pipe 

into the filter area and flows through the 

cylindrical filter element from inside out. 

The filtration cake accumulating on the 

element surface causes a pressure differential 

to develop across the filter element. When 

this pressure difference reaches a pre-set 

value, or after a pre-determined time lapse, 

the backflushing mechanism kicks in. 

Backflushing takes 10–30 seconds. During 

the backflushing cycle the filtered water 

is not interrupted and continues to flow 

downstream of the filter. 

Contaminated water is exposed to UV 

light. A real-time process control system 

activates and deactivates lamps to maintain 

the UV dosage while conserving power. This 

is controlled and monitored by means of a 

programmable logic controller (PLC) and 

touchscreen. 

Sky-System 

Peraclean Ocean 

The Sky-System ballast water management 

system consists of treatment with the 

Peraclean Ocean preparation, which contains 

the active substances peracetic acid and 

hydrogen peroxide, which are stored in 

double-walled tanks. 

The concentrations of the active substances 

are monitored and, if necessary, neutralised 

with sodium sulphite (Na 2 SO 3 ) and water 

before the ballast water is discharged. The 

5 

neutraliser is contained in epoxy-coated tanks. 

Temperature and leakage sensors, 

temperature control unit, ventilators and 

sprinklers in the chemical storage room 

are used to prevent the temperature from 

exceeding 35ºC. 

During land-based tests using the 

concentration of active substance that is 

applied in actual operation, no corrosion was 

observed. Corrosive influences were reported 

to be acceptable on the ballast tank coatings ng 

and uncoated materials. 

OceanGuard 

Qingdao Headway 

2 9 

OceanGuard has been developed by Headway 

Technology from Qingdao, together with the 

Engineering department of Harbin University 

in China. 

An Advanced Electrocatalysis Oxidation 

Process (AEOP) is used to manage the 

treatment, in which short-lived hydroxyl 

radicals are produced. Because of their highly 

reactive efficiency in chained mode and effect 

of the oxidative breakdown, the radicals 

perform broad spectrum sterilisation, killing 

off the various forms of bacteria, virus, algae 

and dormant ovum in the ballast water. The 

organisms are transformed to simpler organic 

molecules that are eventually mineralised to 

CO 2, H 2O and trace inorganic salt. 

OceanGuard has three main components. 

The control unit contains the procedures for 

system operation. It has system diagrams and 

sensor displays and is used for monitoring and 

regulating data readings and dealing with any 

alarm signals. 

A fully automatic 50µm backflush filter, 

which can accomplish automatic backflush 

and filtering at the same time, prevents large 

organisms from entering the ballast tank to 

reduce sedimentation. 




An EUT (electro-catalysis enhanced by 

ultrasonic treatment) unit consists of two 

parts: an electro-catalysis unit to produce the 

oxidising substances and an ultrasonic unit 

that self cleans the EUT unit. 

Unitor 

RBT/Wilhelmsen 

Technical 

Solutions 5 8 2 

Originally developed by South African 

company Resource Ballast Technologies 

(RBT), the type-approved Unitor BWTS was 

marketed by Wilhelmsen of Norway. 

The inline system uses mechanical 

cavitation, disinfectants (produced within 

the system) and physical separation (by 

means of a 40µm screen) to treat ballast 

water on intake only. 

Active substances, in the form of ozone and 

sodium hypochlorite, are added to facilitate 

cavitation. The cavitated bubbles implode, 

which produces a shock wave that kills the 

targeted organisms. 

In late February this year the system was 

withdrawn from sale and the Wilhelmsen 

Technical Solutions issued a statement 

saying it has completed a comprehensive 

performance verification program for the 

Unitor Ballast Water Treatment System. As 

a result of the evaluation that followed, the 

company reached the decision to withdraw 

the current design of the Unitor BWTS from 

the market. 

“We acknowledge the potential impact 

for our customers and others affected by 

this decision. However, in keeping with our 

commitment to compliance, quality and 

customer satisfaction, we believe this is the 

only prudent course of action,” said Petter 

Traaholt, president of Wilhelmsen Technical 

Solutions. 

“The verification program showed that 

the system at this stage of development will 

not, in our opinion, provide our customers 

with an effective, fully compliant solution 

for the varied and dynamic water conditions 

encountered by a vessel engaged in global 

trade,” said Traaholt. In addition Traaholt 

notes that the licensor of the technology 

placed itself under Business Rescue (the 

South African equivalent of US Chapter 11 

Bankruptcy) in February 2012. . 

CleanBallast 

RWO 

2 7 

The CleanBallast system is designed to be 

operated in-line using ballast water disk 

filters for particle removal and the EctoSys 

electrolysis disinfection process during ballast 

water uptake. 

As the first treatment step, Bremen-based 

RWO has designed a proprietary ballast water 

disc filter that achieves a high flow rate with 

a small footprint. The filters are specially 

designed to deliver excellent performance 

for heavy-duty operation in harbours with 

high sediment load, where most ballasting 

operations take place. The second treatment 

step is RWO’s proprietary EctoSys electrolysis 

disinfection system, which disinfects all 

global water qualities inline, without the 

need for consumables or additional power 

generation systems. 

The final step of the process is an RWOdesigned 

algae monitor that scans and 

controls the effluent quality of the discharged 

ballast water. While the ship is on a voyage, 

a regrowth of organisms in the ballast water 

tank is possible. Because the IMO standard 

has to be met at ship discharge, the ballast 

water is sent through the EctoSys process a 

second time, as the algae monitor guarantees 

compliance with regulations. 




RWO recently acquired a means of cutting 

out the time-consuming work and expense 

of surveying, and acquiring an exact digital 

reproduction of the space conditions on 

board ship, accurate to the millimetre. 

When surveying the location in which the 

CleanBallast system is to be installed, a highspeed 

360° scanner is used to create a threedimensional 

image of the ship’s engine room, 

which allows the most advantageous options 

for the installation to be ascertained. 

Neo-Purimar 

Samsung HI 2 7 

The Neo-Purimar system from Samsung 

Heavy Industries treats ballast on the 

uptake and discharge in a two-stage system. 

A 50µm self-cleaning filter removes 

particles, sediments and organisms during 

ballast uptake before being disinfected by 

electrolysis-based chlorination. 

To minimise the use of the chlorine 

compound NaOCl, sodium hypochlorite 

solution generated from the electrolysis 

unit is injected to maintain a maximum 

chlorine concentration of 10mg per litre total 

residual oxidants. Water being deballasted 

is treated by additional disinfection – the 

sodium hypochlorite solution generated 

from the electrolysis unit is re-injected – and 

by neutralisation, by means of a sodium 

thiosulfate solution. 

Hydrogen gas, a by-product of the 

electrochemical process, is separated 

immediately upon exiting from the 

electrolytic cell by cyclone separation and is 

not allowed to enter into the ballast water 

piping. The gas is then transmitted to a degassing 

tank, which dilutes the gas to 1% (well 

below the 4% lower explosive limit) before 

exhausting to atmosphere. 

BalPure 

Severn Trent de Nora 2 7 

BalPure, from the US joint venture of 

Severn Trent Services and Gruppo DeNora, 

only treats ballast during the uptake on 

the ballasting operation although a second 

operation during de-ballasting is done to 

neutralise and residual oxidants remaining 

from the treatment stage. 

Ballast water is first cleared of larger 

organisms and sediments by a 40µm filter. 

Once filtered, a slip stream of 1% of the 

total water ballast uptake flow rate is fed to 

the BalPure system where a hypochlorite 

disinfection solution is generated. 

The mixture of seawater, disinfection 

solution and hydrogen gas (a by-product of 

the electrolytic process) then passes through 

a cyclone-type degas separator to remove the 

hydrogen gas. The 1% slip stream, now free of 

hydrogen, is mixed with the remaining 99% 

of the main uptake flow and used to disinfect 

the entire volume of ballast water. 

The total ballast water flow is then 

transferred to the ballast tanks. A residual 

disinfectant continues to treat the ballast 

water during the voyage. 

The BalPure system is used only in 

deballasting operations to neutralise the 

residual oxidant in the ballast water before 

discharging it from the ship. 

On deballasting, the filter is bypassed and 

all treated ballast water is discharged. Before 

overboard discharge takes place, an automatic 

neutralisation process occurs. 

A separate, small stream of a neutralisation 

agent, sodium bisulphite (7.5 litres per 

1,000m 3 ), is automatically added at the inlet 

of the ballast pump and any other discharge 

systems such as aft peak tank systems. 

Seawater is then discharged back to the 

marine environment. 



www.mstcglobal.com 

USED TO 

PERFORMING 

UNDER HIGH 

PRESSURE 

www.vanzonderen.com 

MSTC Global and van Zonderen are specialized in offering 

tailor made services in the fi eld of Hydro-blasting and 

coating in dry-dock, at sea or quayside. All work programs 

are carried out by our own staff using our own equipment. 

MSTC and van Zonderen offer a wide range of products in 

the fi eld of corrosion protection and prevention. We can also 

supply all specialist technical items and equipment required 

in the marine industry. 

MSTC.indd 1 20/03/2012 15:20


SiCURE 

Siemens 2 7 

The SiCURE ballast water management 

system from Siemens uses a combination 

of physical separation and a proprietary, ondemand 

treatment with biocides, produced 

in situ from seawater, without the addition 

of chemicals. The system is based on three 

phases: filtration, electro-chlorination, and 

demand-regulated control logic. 

The main functions of the filter in the 

SiCURE system are to remove or break 

larger organisms using a 40µm weave wire 

screen, and to provide reliable, non-stop 

operation at high sediment loads while 

minimising backwash flow. The biofouling 

control provided to the filter assures 

its reliable function and minimises 

maintenance requirements of 

the system. 

For electro-chlorination, 

SiCURE oxidises and 

eliminates aquatic 

invasive species 

(AIS) with sodium 

hypochlorite (NaOCl). 

Sodium hypochlorite 

has been used 

for many years to 

Photo: Imtech Marine 

Siemens’ SiCure offers deepsea and offshore 

ships an environment-friendly solution for ballast 

water treatment 

prevent marine growth in the seawater piping 

and heat transfer systems of land-based, 

offshore and shipboard installations. 

Potentially the most efficient method 

of hypochlorination is the production on 

demand of sodium hypochlorite in situ, 

electrolytically, through use of a concentric 

tube electrode (CTE). This hypochlorination 

technology is known in the maritime industry 

as the Chloropac system and is produced by 

Siemens Water Technologies. 

Proprietary control logic of SiCURE 

monitors the chlorine dose level necessary 

to provide the 




required efficacy. Biocide dosing level 

is variable and depends on ballast water 

conditions – the physical, chemical, and 

biological characteristics that, cumulatively, 

are called chlorine demand. 

The SiCURE system treats ballast water 

only on intake, allowing the system to be 

sized for ballast water flows while discharge 

can be done with higher flow rates. This is 

suitable for those vessels that use only one 

pump on intake and two pumps on discharge. 

Ozone 

(Mitsui) Special Pipe 

Hybrid 5 8 

The Special Pipe Hybrid system (Ozone 

version) from the Japanese shipbuilder Mitsui 

Engineering is a two-stage system based on 

cavitation by high shear and ozonation. In the 

ballasting phase, water is taken into the pretreatment 

unit before passing to a unit that 

injects ozone, which has been generated on 

board, into the water. 

This method of treatment starts with 

inline pre-treatment to preventing blockage 

of the disinfecting unit followed by a more 

complex mechanical treatment via a “special 

pipe” which is inserted into a section of 

the normal ballast pipe run and then ends 

by adding the produced ozone which is 

considered as an active substance by the IMO. 

After addition of the ozone to the water, for 

the treatment to be effective it is necessary 

for the ballast to be stored in the tank for at 

least 48 hours. 

This minimum amount of storage time is 

needed to allow for the strong oxidising and 

disinfecting properties of bromate, which 

is generated from the reaction of ozone and 

seawater, to become ineffective. The halflife 

period of the bromate ion is, on average, 

around 12 hours. 

A discharging unit decomposes the oxidant 

remaining in the ballast water at the time 

of discharge. The ozone generator contains 

multiple electrodes that convert a part of the 

oxygen in the gas to ozone. 

A power supply unit converts the power 

type from commercial frequency and low 

voltage to medium frequency and high voltage 

most suitable to ozone generation. 

A gas/liquid separation unit is employed 

to prevent ozone that does not react from 

flowing into the ballast tank. 




Electro-Cleen 

Techcross 7 

The Electro-Cleen System (ECS) from 

Techcross employs electrolysis within the 

ballast pipeline, to cause an active substance, 

sodium hypochlorite, and hydroxyl radicals to 

break down the cell membrane and disinfect 

the ballast water. 

The hypochlorite solution is a strong, 

sustainable disinfectant that destroys the cell 

nucleus, while the radicals are active only for 

nanoseconds. 

Seawater passes through an Electro- 

Chamber Unit (ECU) placed after the ballast 

pump, and the disinfectants generated by 

electrolysis process disinfect the harmful 

micro-organisms. 

The company maintains ECS is the most 

effective BWTS using electrolysis technology. 

Various models of the ECS are supplied: 

ECS-150B, ECS-300B, ECS-450B, ECS-600B 

and ECS-1000B. Explosion-proof versions are 

available, which are denoted by an ‘Ex-’ prefix, 

for example, Ex-ECS-150B. 

The system differs from a typical electro 

chlorination system, as the treatment 

process provides electrochemical generation 

of the biocide solution on board and a high 

concentration of the hypochlorite solution is 

injected directly into the ballast pipe line. 

When using electrolysis, the ECS applies 

electric currents. In the direct disinfection 

mechanism, the electric potential creates 

holes in the cell walls, causing them to 

expand and break, thereby destroying the 

cell membrane of the micro-organisms. In 

addition, the OH-radical generated during the 

electrolysis procedure by titanium electrodes 

also disinfects micro-organisms. 

Through electrolysis, sufficient quantities 

of total residual oxidants are generated, 

preventing the regrowth of micro-organisms 

and maintaining efficacy of the process. 

Residual chlorine also prohibits the regrowth 

of the organisms in the ballast tank tank. nk nk. 

Techwin Eco (Purimar) 

Samsung HI 

2 7 

The Purimar system is described as an efficient 

method of seawater electrolysis for safely 

generating sodium hypochlorite onboard. 

At ballasting, the ballast water treatment 

process performed by the Purimar system 

comprises the operation of two main units: 

filtration and disinfection. At deballasting, 

a neutralisation unit decreases the 

concentration of total residual oxidants before 

discharge if required. 

The BWMS immediately injects the 

solution directly into the ballast water intake. 

The Purimar system involves passing a small 

supply (less than 1% of total ballast flow) of 

seawater from the incoming ballast water line 

through bipolar electrolytic cells in which the 

seawater is subjected to low amperage and 

medium-voltage direct current. 

The company says the system has a small 

footprint, is easy to install, and has low 

maintenance costs, with no increase to 

corrosion. Power consumption is predicted to 

be 26kW for a 600m 3 /h unit and 224kW for a 

6,500m 3 /h unit. 

Purimar was granted type approval on 31 

October 2011 by the Korean Ministry of 

Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. 

TrojanUVLogic 

Wärtsilä/Trojan 

Technologies Aquafine 2 3 

In early 2010 Wärtsilä announced its 

partnership with Elmshorn, Germany-based 

UV light specialist Aquafine, a member of 

the Trojan Technologies group. Wärtsilä 




and Trojan Marinex formally launched their 

system in October 2010. 

The BWT 500i system’s filtration unit and 

ultraviolet lamps providing disinfection are 

housed in a single 2m3 unit. The system has 

a compact design, making it easy to install 

and suitable for most vessels. It offers low 

maintenance costs and high throughput. 

Wärtsilä sees easy installation and a small 

profile as crucial for the retrofit market. 

The Wärtsilä BWT 500i treats the ballast 

water in a two-step process, first by filtering 

out larger organisms and particles, and then 

by ultraviolet disinfection. The UV irradiation 

either kills the remaining organisms, or 

renders them incapable of reproduction. Each 

unit is capable of treating 500m3 /h, and it is 

possible to install several units in parallel for 

higher flow rates. 

The company highlights some of the 

advantages of the system are the low power 

consumption, the treatment system does not 

use chemicals, and there is no impact on ballast 

water treatment corrosion or coatings. oating ng ngs. 

BSKY 

Wuxi Brightsky Electronic 

c 2 3 

The BSKY system from Wuxi Brightsky 

Electronic of Jiangsu province, China, is 

modular in structure and uses what it calls 

Enhanced Physical Treatment, which is a 

BWTS that employs cyclonic and ultrasonic 

pre-filtration combined with UV irradiation. 

On ballast intake, water passes through a 

hydrocyclone. The ultrasonic pre-filter limits 

the intake of organisms and sediment. The 

water is treated with UV module, which 

destroys the micro-organisms. 

During the discharge process, the water is 

treated again so as to eliminate any growth 

that may have occurred in the ballast tanks. 

At this stage the hydrocyclone is bypassed. 

The company argues that conventional 

filtration systems – those using a 50µm filter 

can experience problems with clogging and 

often require replacement. 

The ultrasonic pre-filter prevents regrowth 

and leads to lower power consumption on 

ultraviolet treatment. 

ARA Ballast 

(Blue Ocean Guardian) 

21st Century 2 3 

Formerly known as the Blue Ocean Guardian 

(BOG) system. During ballasting, the filtration 

module of the ARA Ballast system removes 

aquatic organisms and particles larger than 

50µm. Backflushing water, which includes 

micro-organisms and particles retained by 

automatic backflushing devices, is returned 

overboard. After filtration, aquatic organisms 

are destroyed by intensive shockwaves 

produced by a low-voltage plasma module. 

Active substances, such as ozone, 

atomic oxygen, nitric oxide and superoxide 

radicals are produced during this process. 

Then, residual organisms and bacteria are 

disinfected by a medium-pressure ultraviolet 

(MPUV) module. 

The MPUV module uses a wavelength of 

UV-C (200–280nm) to generate UV rays 

from a mercury-arc lamp. It is available for 

automatic cleaning in order to increase the 

penetration rate of a quartz tube. 

During deballasting, while the filtration 

module and the plasma module are bypassed, 

the MPUV module disinfects the water again 

in the event that micro-organisms and bacteria 

regrowth have occurred during the voyage. 

Power consumption during a land-based 

system treating water at a rate of 120m 3 /h 

was estimated to be less than 1kW for 

filtration, 20kW for the MPUV module and 

less than 10kW for the plasma module. 




Implementing a system 

Twenty-three suppliers have gained 

type approval for their systems so far, 

which therefore can be sold commercially. 

The systems include Alfa Laval with its 

PureBallast, Hamman with SEDNA (but 

with production currently suspended), 

Hitachi with ClearBallast, Hyde Marine’s 

Guardian, NEI Treatment Systems with 

VOS, Nutech 03 with BlueBallast, 

OceanSaver (Mark I version) with its 

namesake system, OptiMarin with OBS, 

RWO with its CleanBallast system, 

Techcross with Electro-Cleen, Panasia 

with GloEn-Patrol, and Wilhelmsen with 

Unitor (at present this has been withdrawn 

from the market). 

Last year Balclor’s BWTS, COSCO with Blue 

Ocean Shield, JFE with BallastAce, Mahle with 

its Ocean Protection System, 21st Century 

with ARA Ballast and Wuxi Brightsky with 

its BSKY system were also type approved. 

Hyundai HI with HiBallast, Samsung HI with 

its Purimar system and Severn Trent de Nora 

with Balpure were approved in July 2011. 

The Ecochlor system received type approval 

at Europort in November last year from the 

German national authority, Federal Maritime 

and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). 

Oceansaver’s Mark II system was approved 

in January 2012. More than 45 systems 

are in development, and there is no lack of 

newcomers ready to join the movement. 

When implementing a ballast water 

treatment system a great deal of planning is 

essential and searching questions should be 

asked before choosing a system for a particular 

vessel or fl eet. These considerations are 

intended to streamline the compliance process 

and cut down on costs. 

In a newbuilding, the shipowner has the 

opportunity to choose the treatment system 

best suited to the vessel type and size, to its 

service or trade route, and to the owner’s 

operational preferences. The system can 

be designed in from the start, whereas in a 

retrofi t choices may be constrained by existing 

onboard systems and the space available. 

Owners, particularly those with multiple 

vessel types in their fl eet, would be well 

advised to consider their options sooner 

rather than later and investigate costs, 

including bulk purchases. The other aspect 

of being well prepared is planning for 

installation during a scheduled drydocking 

when trained technicians will be available. 

Compliance with the BWM 

Convention and regulations 

All ships must nominate an offi cer 

responsible for ballast water management 

and because every voyage is diff erent, a 

vessel must have a ballast water management 

plan (in English, French or Spanish) that 

enables a unique procedure to be specifi ed 

for each voyage, based on the weight and 

volume of cargo and fuel. 

The BWM plan provides requisite 

information to port state control as the ship 

approaches its territorial waters, in accordance 

with IMO regulation B1. It should be agreed 

between the master and the company’s head 

offi ce, and contain ship’s particulars, drawings 

of the vessel’s ballast system, diagrams of 

ballast water sampling points, operations 

of the onboard BWMS, and procedures for 

sediment control and disposal. The plan 

defi nes reporting procedures and operational 

and safety procedures, and it also contains 

details of the required training for the crew. 

All ballast water-related activities are 


038_039_BW1204.indd 38 21/03/2012 18:45:24


recorded in a ballast water record book. 

When ballast water is exchanged, 95% of 

the vessel’s ballast water is replaced with 

water farther out in the oceans, 200nm from 

the coast and at least 200m deep, as the bioorganisms 

cannot survive this far from land. 

Exchanging water at sea can be dangerous and 

introduce excessive stresses and forces that 

can cause a vessel to become unstable and 

even capsize. BWE was intended to be phased 

out by 2016 once ships were equipped with 

treatment systems. 

Coatings of ballast water tanks must 

withstand 15 years without deterioration, 

which is a requirement of the International 

Association of Classifi cation Societies (IACS) 

common structural rules and is inherent 

in the SOLAS Performance Standards for 

Protective Coatings (PSPC). 

System specifi cation 

The main considerations are ballast capacity 

and pumping rate, water treatment method, 

size of system and space available, servicing 

and costs. 

The ballast capacity and pumping rate 

are dependent on the ship type and size. 

The International Chamber of Shipping has 

pointed out that there are fewer systems 

available that are suitable for ships with 

ballast capacity larger than 5,000m 3 . 

Although multiple systems can be installed, 

this increases energy costs. 

The ballast capacity of most vessels is 

roughly one-third of their deadweight, so 

a 115,000dwt Aframax has tanks holding 

40,000m 3 of ballast water and a VLCC or 

VLOC up to 100,000m 3 . 

Most ballast systems have a pump capacity 

that enables total ballast capacity to be 

emptied or fi lled in about 10 hours. As pretreatment 

fi ltration features in many systems 

the owner should consider the time lost in the 

backfl ushing cycle for cleaning the fi lter. 

The degree of pressure loss is dependent on 

the maximum operational pressure of existing 

ballast pumps, the design of the ballast head 

and the location of the installation. Systems 

tend to create a pressure loss of between 

0.5bar and 2bar, for which the ballast-water 

pump will have to compensate. 

Concerning the volume of ballast water 

treated per hour, optimum pumping rates need 

to be established, in order to turn round the 

vessel quickly and not confl ict with the speed 

at which the cargo empties or tidal levels rise. 

A lot depends on vessel size. Systems 

can satisfy vessel size by working units in 

parallel to match the desired fl ow. Plenty of 

ships require pumping rates of no more than 

2,000m 3 /h, which some BWTS suppliers 

believe is the optimum size to aim at. 

Certain makers have yet to gain suffi cient 

experience of handling the largest ship 

types. A VLCC might require a pump rate of 

6,000m 3 /h, which could prove challenging to 

some manufacturers. 

When implementing the system, the 

potential purchaser needs to consider the 

system size and space available, not only for 

the equipment, but also piping and possibly 

upgraded or additional pumps. The degree 

of modularity in the system is an important 

factor in making the best use of available 

space. Space is also needed for maintenance 

access and for storage of consumables. 

Operating costs (energy, consumables, 

crew time, maintenance and servicing) all 

should be factored into the capital cost of the 

equipment and its installation. 

The availability of maintenance, servicing 

and consumables are considerations that 

are as signifi cant as their cost. The eff ects of 

the system on ballast tank coatings and as a 

contributor to corrosion in the ballast tank 

and pipes should also be taken into account. 


038_039_BW1204.indd 39 21/03/2012 18:45:25


Practicalities 

With so many systems either fully 

approved or expected to be approved 

shortly, there is increasing pressure for 

the mandatory installation programme 

to begin without further delay. There are 

likely to be benefi ts for operators willing 

to consider installation ahead of any 

mandatory deadlines, as there could be a 

price advantage if manufacturers offer 

incentives for early orders to recoup 

some of their R&D costs. Another factor 

is the ability of shipyards to 

accommodate the rush to install 

equipment when the retrofi t deadlines hit. 

The choice of supplier is something that 

will need careful consideration bearing in 

mind that the system chosen is likely to 

be in use throughout the working life of 

the ship. The sheer number of ships that 

will come under the BWM Convention will 

include tens of thousands of existing vessels 

needing retrofi ts. 

However, once this bonanza has passed, 

manufacturers will only have the spares 

and service aftermarket and an average of 

around a thousand new ships per year to 

provide an income. The newbuilding market 

from 2016 onward is surely not suffi cient 

to support all of the systems now on the 

market or being developed. 

When contemplating the implementation 

of a BWTS an operator needs to look at 

various practicalities – primarily that the 

system will guarantee full compliance with 

the BWM Convention (once fully ratifi ed) 

and also that it will fi t within the space 

available on board. 

A lot of companies have employed the 

ideas learned from experience in wastewater 

treatment systems. 

An eff ective system should also both 

reduce the energy needed to haul sediment 

build-up and increase the ship’s cargocarrying 

capacity. 

The design of the ballast system pipe 

layout needs to be borne in mind, as well. 

Some systems make use of components 

that can be placed at various locations 

around the ship. For those systems that use 

active substances to treat micro-organisms, 

suffi cient stocks of those substances will 

have to be carried on board to satisfy the 

number of units installed and the frequency 

and quantity of ballast operations. 

Many systems use the eff ect of UV on 

water, or the properties of seawater to react 

to electric currents, to generate the active 

substance on board, which means that 

there is no need to hold stocks of an active 

substance on board. 

Another important aspect is the low 

operating pressure of an ultraviolet 

disinfection system, which saves costs in 

retrofi ts by allowing existing pumps to be 

employed and thereby often eliminating the 

need for reconstruction. 

Maintenance and inspections are essential 

for all systems. Abrasive sediment must not 

be allowed to build up and aff ect ballast tank 

coatings. Lamps and fi lters will need to be 

replaced and some form of pre-fi ltration is 

often desirable. 

Closely linked to maintenance is the level 

of training needed to ensure the system is 

operated correctly. Although most systems 

feature a high level of automation, others 

will require more manual intervention 

especially if active substances are involved. 


040_041_BW1204.indd 40 21/03/2012 18:47:14


Questions to be asked 

System supplier 

Is the supplier an established organisation 

that can demonstrate marine water treatment 

experience? 

Is it likely that long-term maintenance 

contracts will be honoured? 

Will spare parts still be available if the 

manufacturer ceases trading? 

System status 

Does the system make use of an active 

substance? 

If so, has the substance been approved? 

Is the system type-approved? 

Can the manufacturer supply from stock or 

only to special order? 

Active substances 

Is the active substance an additive? 

If so, is it readily available? 

Does it present any health risk to crew? 

Is there a risk that the active substance will 

aff ect ballast tank coatings? (For this to be 

established it may be necessary to discuss 

the matter with the coating manufacturer or 

require tests to be carried out.) 

Cost considerations 

What will be the capital outlay per vessel? 

How much will the system cost to install? tall? l? 

How long will it take to install? 

Is a fl eet discount available? 

What are the system’s running costs? 

What is the electrical power consumption tioon 

of the system (min/max)? 

Replacement/additional fi lters/pumps? s? 

? 

Maintenance and spare parts costs? 

Level of cost savings from less sediment t 

and reduced damage to tank coatings? ? 

Layout considerations 

How much space is available for installation? 

What are the installed system’s dimensions? 

Piping and cabling requirements? 

Is it a modular system? 

Can the system be installed either vertically 

or horizontally? 

Space needed to store active substances? 

System suitability 

Is the system designed, and tested, for 

prevailing realistic harbour conditions? 

Can the treatment process speed match the 

vessel’s ballasting requirements? 

For scalable systems, how many will be 

required to match vessel requirements? 

If an active substance is used, will it be 

aff ected by salinity or temperature at ports in 

the vessel’s normal area of operations? 

For vessels whose trading pattern involves 

short voyages, will the treatment process be 

completed in time for the next port call? 

If a retrofi t, are existing pumps suffi cient? 

Operation and maintenance 

What level of training is needed by the crew? 

Is the system fully automatic or is crew 

intervention required during operation? 

Where substances must be added, is the 

dosing system sy fail-safe? 

How frequently freq f 

do lamps or fi lters need to 

be cha changed? ang 

If a UV UUV 

system, does the lamps’ warm-up 

tim time me aaff 

ect the ship’s ballast regime? 

What Wha W percentage of lamps must 

be b operational o 

for the system to 

be b eff ective? 

Can Ca off -the-shelf parts be used? 


040_041_BW1204.indd 41 21/03/2012 18:47:15


UV irradiation causes confusion 

The potential for an element 

used in a treatment system to 

cause a problem if discharged 

is one of the greatest concerns 

for environmentalists. For this 

reason, any system using an 

active substance is tested 

rigorously before receiving fi rst 

basic and then fi nal approval. 

The experience of this supplier 

and its testing body may 

prompt much tighter examination 

on both sides. 

Confusion has dogged the 

use of ultraviolet (UV) light in 

ballast water systems, with 

some administrations treating 

its use as an active substance 

while others maintain that the 

short-term changes to water 

chemistry resulting from its 

use should not require any 

specifi c approval. Many of the 

systems seeking G9 approval 

make use of UV treatment and 

most have been granted basic 

or fi nal approval, but UV treatment 

is still being debated. 

In 2010, Aquaworx, which 

has developed the lowpressure 

UV system in a joint 

venture with Danish company 

Aalborg Industries, switched 

from the G9 to G8 approval 

route after the German authorities 

decided that there was no 

active substance involved. 

Aquaworx insists that the 

AquaTriComb system does not 

make use of any chemicals 

but works instead using a 

combination of fi ltration, UV 

and ultrasound to remove and 

destroy organisms. 

The Hyde Guardian is 

another system that uses UV 

and which earlier followed the 

G8 process; it was fully typeapproved 

in April 2009. Some 

systems-makers may decide to 

follow suit and switch routes, 

but a number of others have 

decided to continue on down 

the G9 path. 

To help vessel operators 

meet the IMO’s impending ballast 

water discharge requirements, 

UV disinfection specialist 

Hanovia, together with two 

other specialist companies, 

Panasia Engineering and Hyde 

Marine, has developed onboard 

ballast water treatment 

systems that the company says 

are easy to install and use. 

Environmental damage 

caused by alien species 

transported in ballast water is 

regarded as one of the greatest 

threats to the oceans of the 

world, the company notes. 

To help operators deal with 

the problem, Hanovia and its 

partners have devised a UV 

disinfection system that, in 

conjunction with a fi lter, is said 

to kill or remove virtually all the 

micro-organisms that may be 

present in ballast water. 

The system combines 

a high-intensity, mediumpressure 

UV disinfection unit 

with an automatic backfl ush 

fi lter. After passing through 

the fi lter to remove the larger 

organisms, the ballast water 

fl ows into the UV chamber 

for the destruction of smaller 

organisms. During deballasting, 

the water bypasses the 

fi lter but again fl ows through 

the UV chamber, where further 

irradiation kills any remaining 

micro-organisms. 

The system needs little 

space and can be mounted at 

any angle – which is particularly 

useful in the confi ned 

spaces of a vessel’s equipment 

room, Hanovia notes. “Once 

installed, the system requires 

little effort to operate by the 

crew,” the company added. 

The ultraviolet unit is 

equipped with automatic wipers 

to keep the UV lamps clean. 

The only maintenance that the 

crew needs to conduct is to 

replace the lamps once a year 

and to undertake occasional 

preventative work. 


042_043_BW1204.indd 42 21/03/2012 18:49:53 

Photo: iStock


Sampling 

and port state control 

Ballast water sampling and analysis 

procedures and the implementation 

protocol for port state control (PSC) were 

re-examined and planned to be fi nalised 

at MEPC 63, which was held from 27 

February to 2 March. Two sets of draft 

guidance were submitted to the IMO 

Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and 

Gases (BLG). 

One draft covered guidance on sampling and 

the other off ered advice on PSC issues. The 

result was a split between a group including 

the large fl ag states – including Panama and the 

Bahamas – and an EU-led group. 

The ICS has highlighted the chaotic state of 

ballast water treatment rules after the IMO 

BLG Sub-Committee agreed to alterations in 

the draft ballast water sampling and analysis 

guidelines that will be used by PSC. 

Effect of BWT on coatings 

This might be damaging to shipowners 

were it to be adopted by IMO contrary to what 

had previously been agreed by the MEPC. 

Accordingly, the ICS issued a strong statement 

at the end of the BLG meeting in January 

about the direction that had been taken. Now, 

with the support of many fl ag states, the draft 

guidelines will be reconsidered. 

This means, however, that the guidelines 

associated with sampling and analysis will 

not be approved until 2013 at the earliest, 

which is expected to delay the additional 

ratifi cations needed to bring the IMO 

Ballast Water Management Convention 

into force. The delay creates other problems 

for shipowners, because of the fi xed dates 

by which existing ships have to install the 

potentially expensive treatment equipment 

required by the convention. 

A potential consequence of ballast water treatment – at least for those systems that make use of an 

active substance – is the potential for damage to be caused to the wider ballast system. Coatings suppliers 

have expressed concern about the effect of treated water on paint and the risk of corrosion of ballast 

water tanks. 

The confl ict has arisen because the paint, as the last layer on, is traditionally considered accountable 

for the effect on the tank and the water it holds. Coating manufacturers argue that BWT systems 

appeared after coatings were developed, so the onus is on the system-makers to test their products 

against existing coatings. With no offi cial regulatory decision, the dispute rumbles on, but it is something 

that owners selecting either a tank coating or a ballast water treatment system should consider before 

coming to a fi nal decision. 

One of the main elements of a ballast system is its piping. Seawater is highly corrosive and pipes often 

need repair or replacement. Some new suppliers are promoting the advantages of composites over steel 

and there do appear to be more benefi ts than downsides to the idea. Claimed advantages include lightness, 

absence of corrosion and their potential for use in repairing damage to existing steel systems. 


042_043_BW1204.indd 43 21/03/2012 18:49:56


Treatment system 

of choice – 

CleanBallast 

When RWO began developing a ballast 

water treatment system back in 2003, 

the clear goals set were to achieve a 

system that fulfi lled IMO regulations and 

was economical in investment and 

operation, but at same time was suitable 

to work in real-life conditions and able to 

fulfi l future regulations. 

Robustness, easy operation and 

maintenance, and being suitable 

for both newbuildings and 

retrofi ttings, were other points 

to be achieved by the BWTS. 

After several years of 

research and development 

and comparison of various 

sediment removal and 

disinfection technologies, 

the Bremen-based marine 

water treatment company 

believes it has achieved all these 

key criteria with its CleanBallast 

system. First orders for the twostage 

CleanBallast system were 

received at the end of 2007 – to 

equip 20 newbuild vessels. 

RWO’s CleanBallast system consists of a 

two-stage process, starting with mechanical 

fi ltration by Disk Filters followed by the 

advanced electrochemical disinfection 

EctoSys. The fi ltration process is carried out 

only during ballast water uptake, whereas 

Photo RWO 

The EctoSys module is at 

the heart of the RWO 

CleanBallast system 

disinfection is applied both when ballasting 

and during ballast discharge. This is to 

remove any organisms that either are already 

present in tanks or that may regrow in the 

ballast tanks during a ship’s voyage. 

The modular fi ltration stage, that can be 

arranged horizontally, vertically and even 

as a stacked system, removes particles that 

are >55μm and allows minimal use of active 

substances at the disinfection stage. 

The CleanBallast system ensures 

minimum power consumption and is 

able to operate eff ectively in all kinds 

of water, regardless of its salinity 

or turbidity. 

An additional, optional feature 

of the CleanBallast system that 

is available is the Algae Monitor. 

This unit continuously checks 

the quality of the ballast water by 

measuring the numbers of viable 

phytoplankton that are present. It also 

further minimises the already very 

low power consumption to 

produce disinfectants. 

The Disk Filters consist of a 

series of individual thin, grooved plastic 

discs stacked on to several spines; microorganisms 

and particles are caught in 

the grooves and on the outside surface of 

the discs. Back-fl ushing of the fi lters is 

automatically triggered when a pre-defi ned 


044_045_BW1204.indd 44 21/03/2012 18:51:04


diff erential pressure is reached, or after a 

pre-determined time interval. There is no 

fl ow interruption during the backfl ushing 

and the process takes only a few seconds. 

The electrodes used in the EctoSys module 

have special chemical and electrochemical 

properties that cause the formation of 

hydroxyl (OH) radicals. These OH radicals are 

highly reactive and react almost as soon as 

they are formed. Consequently they are very 

short-lived and cause no problem with total 

residual oxidant checks. 

Diff erent salinities of ballast water 

produce diff erent active substances. In 

waters of low salinity, the highly reactive 

OH radicals are the only active substance 

produced, while in brackish or seawater small 

volumes of other disinfecting substances 

are also produced as by-products, which act 

alongside the reactive OH radicals. 

In contrast to conventional chlorine 

electrolysis the EctoSys, disinfection is 

independent of the presence of salts in the 

water to produce OH radicals. Furthermore, 

the performance of the system is also not 

infl uenced by sediments, turbidity or the 

colour of the water. 

CleanBallast was tested in river water with 

TSS counts of much higher concentrations 

than the IMO test water requirements. Thus 

CleanBallast treats ballast water successfully 

under worse than IMO reference conditions. 

Its modular construction makes 

CleanBallast suitable for both retrofi t and 

newbuild installations, although 

it can also be supplied as skidmounted 

and containerised 

versions. Further positive aspects 

of the CleanBallast technology 

are that it is always available for 

immediate operation, is designed 

for a long lifetime, does not need 

any warm-up time nor does it have a cooling 

requirement, being fully automatic, robust and 

not aff ected by possible vibrations on board. 

The RWO system has also been extensively 

tested by independent bodies confi rming 

that CleanBallast does not alter the 

corrosion behaviour of treated ballast water. 

SWEREA KIMAB and Germanischer Lloyd 

confi rmed that seawater after treatment with 

CleanBallast shows no increase in corrosive 

properties for material and coatings, and GL 

classifi es CleanBallast as compatible with 

epoxy-based ballast tank coating systems. 

As of the end of February this year, more 

than 35 CleanBallast units had already been 

commissioned for successful commercial 

operation and sea-trialled in the Shanghai 

Delta and Yangtze River – in terms of 

water quality probably one of the harshest 

environments in the world. CleanBallast 

is thus one of the few BWT systems that 

can demonstrate substantial experience in 

commercial application. 

Since February RWO has been off ering 

shipowners an additional and essential service 

for retrofi ttings. As one of the fi rst ballast 

water treatment system manufacturers 

worldwide, RWO recently acquired its own 

high-speed 360° 3D scanner. RWO can now, 

in only a short time, create in exact detail 

three-dimensional images of a ship’s engine 

room and by this means portray the most 

advantageous options for installing the 

CleanBallast system. 

The CleanBallast system is 

one of the very few ballast 

water treatment systems 

deemed by the California 

State Lands Commission 

report to have demonstrated 

the potential to comply with 

the commission’s exacting 

performance standards. 

This high speed 3D scanner captures exact 

© IHS Global Limited 2012 

details of the available installation space 

45 

044_045_BW1204.indd 45 21/03/2012 18:51:06 

Photo RWO


about RWO 

RWO GmbH, Bremen, is a leading 

supplier of systems for water and 

wastewater treatment aboard ships and 

offshore rigs. The product programme 

encompasses the treatment of ballast-, 

waste-, drinking- and process-water, as 

well as oil water separation. RWO is 

already the worldwide market leader in 

the treatment of oily waters. 

RWO has more than 35 years’ experience 

in the maritime water and wastewater 

treatment market and ensures sustainability 

during the entire lifetime of the systems 

through its worldwide service network. 

Currently, RWO has more than 50 

CleanBallast ballast water treatment systems 

Publisher: Jon McGowan 

Editor: Malcolm Latarche 

email: malcolm.latarche@ihs.com 

Sub-editor: Stephen Spark 

Reporter: Stephen Valentine 

Head of design: Roberto Filistad 

Designer: Lynda Hargreaves 

Production: Sarah Treacy 

Supplement manager: Justin Hyde 

Head of advertising sales: Adam Foster 

Tel: +44 (0)208 676 2201 

email: adam.foster@ihs.com 

IHS Fairplay, Sentinel House, 

163 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, 

Surrey CR5 2YH, UK 

Printed in the UK by Hobbs the Printers 

in its orderbook, and as of the end of February 

2012 more than 35 CleanBallast units had 

already been commissioned for successful 

commercial operation and sea-trialled in the 

Shanghai Delta and Yangtze River – in terms 

of water quality probably one of the harshest 

environments in the world. 

CleanBallast is thus one of the few BWTSs 

that can demonstrate longer experience in 

commercial application. 

More information email: 

elisabeth.schoening@veoliawater.com 

or visit: 

www.rwo.de 

Copyright © IHS Global Limited, 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this publication 

may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, 

photocopying, recording or otherwise, or be stored in any retrieval system of any nature, 

without prior written permission of IHS Global Limited. Applications for written permission 

should be directed to Jon McGowan, jon.mcgowan@ihs.com. Any views or opinions 

expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of IHS Global Limited or 

its affiliates. 

Disclaimer of liability 

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information 

contained in this publication at the time of going to press, IHS Global Limited and its 

affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of and, to the 

extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, 

damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained in this 

publication. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of the advertising material 

which they submit to us and for ensuring that the material complies with applicable 

laws. IHS Global Limited and its affiliates are not responsible for any error, omission or 

inaccuracy in any advertisement and will not be liable for any damages arising from any 

use of products or services or any actions or omissions taken in reliance on information 

or any statement contained in advertising material. Inclusion of any advertisement is 

not intended to endorse any views expressed, nor products or services offered, nor the 

organisations sponsoring the advertisement. 

Trade marks 

IHS Fairplay is a trade mark of IHS Global Limited. 


P46_BW1204.indd 46 02/08/2012 11:43:45

Untitled-4 1 20/03/2012 10:41

Auramarine’s BWT system, CrystalBallast ® , is a combination of automatic filtration and ultraviolet 

light disinfection. The solution offers considerable benefits compared with other BWT methods. 

CrystalBallast ® is fast, reliable and safe. It is a stable and economical solution for new builds and 

retrofits to meet new environmental standards. 

Auramarine is the world’s leading manufacturer of fuel oil supply systems and it has wideranging 

experience in liquid flows. Auramarine products, such as CrystalBallast ® , are designed to 

work at demanding conditions throughout the world. 

www.auramarine.com 

Ballast Water Treatment system 

CrystalBallast ® 

for the benefit 

of the seas. 

Untitled-1 1 15/03/2012 11:08:57

the IHS Ballast Water Guide - RWO Marine Water Technology

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