Approval for Water Treatment System

Finnish-based Auramarine Ltd. has recently received an IMO type approval for its CrystalBallast ballast water treatment system.

The approval was issued by DNV on behalf of the Norwegian Maritime Directorate after the successful land-based and shipboard testing in accordance with International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) “Guidelines for approval of BWM Systems (G8)” and DNV rules.

In addition, the electrical components were subjected to DNV’s “Environmental test specification for instrumentation and automation equipment, DNV Standard for Certification No 2.4”. These requirements are more stringent than the IMO requirements and include, for instance, also electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), vibration, low temperatures and damp heat testing.

Auramarine CrystalBallast® is a two-step process, with an efficient automatic filter to remove sediment and larger organisms, followed by an intensive medium pressure UV unit to disinfect and inactivate smaller plankton, bacteria and pathogens. According to Auramarine, the Combination of automatic filtration and ultraviolet light based ballast water treatment is becoming the leading technology, offering considerable benefits compared to other disinfection methods. Filter and UV disinfection is a proven purely physical and chemical-free disinfection process and it is not affected by salinity variations in seawater. Disinfection is fast and ballast water is ready to be discharged immediately after treatment without any by-products.

Ballast water is treated using filter and UV during ballast water intake and re-treated during ballast water discharge through the UV reactor only (filter bypassed). Re-treatment during discharge is necessary to eliminate possible re-growth of bacteria in ballast tanks due to cross contamination or incomplete intake disinfection.  Both process steps have been carefully selected to provide a minimal pressure drop over the treatment system and a small and compact installation area.

Birka Cargo Ab, former United Shipping Ltd, member of Eckerö Group has recently ordered two type CB 250 CrystalBallast® equipment for Eckerö Group/Birka Express, which are delivered in Autumn 2012.

Mr. Juhani Aarnio of Birka Cargo Ab says: “We feel confident that we have found a reliable supplier of ballast water treatment with good quality for a competitive price. This timely installation is in line with our environment policy. We believe that the CrystalBallast® system using filters and UV is the most suitable system for our vessels as well as for the environment, since no chemicals or other harmful substances are being used.”