Filtersafe Develops New UV BWMS Filter

Filtersafe announced the launch of its new ‘MANTA’ filter series, specifically engineered for UV based ballast water management systems (BWMS).

The high-performance filter is able to remove 99.6% of organisms over 50 μm to ensure that ship owners and operators will be compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s D-2 standard for the implementation of the ballast water management convention, which must be adhered to by 08 September 2024, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) existing ‘Final Rule for Ballast Water Treatment’.

Filtersafe said it has received an equivalent series type approval from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and the USCG, making it one of the first complete filter redesigns to be approved under the USCG’s Policy Letter (CG-OES 03-20) Guidance on Testing Alternate Components for a Type Approved BWMS.

The MANTA features Filtersafe’s new one-motion scanner. This new design removes lateral motion of the scanner, reducing cost and eliminating parts. It features a larger proximity nozzle which is able to clean the filter screen in one continuous motion. When combined with the filter’s unpleated screen, the MANTA has improved cleaning coverage that reaches 100% of the screen, according to the manufacturer.

The filter also features scalable automatic self-cleaning. Automatic filter cleaning can be increased when ballasting in sediment-rich waters, including those found in the port of Shanghai, to ensure a consistent flow rate and to avoid costly operational issues such as clogging. Despite being tested with a finer mesh filter, the MANTA outperformed the original BallastSafe design in independent testing of the cleaning, removal rate, and throughput efficiency of the filters, Filtersafe said.

For corrosion prevention, Filtersafe introduced 904L stainless steel across its filter screen supply chain last year and this superior steel is also used in the MANTA series’ sintered screens. In addition, and in order to combat the steady-rising cost of alloy material, Filtersafe, together with its partners, has adopted a new SuperQuenching procedure, borrowed from the space industry, to overcome the material degradation of 316L due to the weaving, sintering, and fabrication process. This allows it to also offer a viable 316L screen option at a lower cost. Improved longevity and superior cleaning reduces maintenance costs and, even when maintenance is required, MANTA is thoughtfully designed to ensure it can safely and efficiently be maintained by one person.

Mark Riggio, Head of Marine at Filtersafe, said, “As requested by leading BWMS manufacturers, we’re pleased to offer Filtersafe performance in a smaller package, designed specifically for UV systems. Having equivalent series type approval already completed makes adopting a MANTA filter a no brainer for our current customers. The rising challenges posed by sediment-rich water conditions are not going away – and now we have the filter that anyone can use to meet them.”

“From a shipowner and operators’ perspective, MANTA is a win in both the CAPEX and OPEX categories. You expect CAPEX costs may be a little more for a high-quality filter, MANTA disrupts that. And our OPEX costs have always been Filtersafe’s strong point.”