New Filter Option for PureBallast 3.0

In conjunction with the SMM exhibition in Hamburg, Alfa Laval released an alternative filter option for PureBallast 3.0. The compact new Filtrex filter lets the system operate in fresh, brackish and marine waters with a UV transmittance as low as 42%.

With the launch of Alfa Laval PureBallast 3.0 in 2013, Alfa Laval said it has set new standards for the energy efficiency, compactness and flexibility of its chemical-free ballast water treatment system. Earlier this year, installation flexibility was further enhanced by a third reactor size of 600 m3/h. Now the addition of a Filtrex filter option has increased operating flexibility as well.

“Alfa Laval PureBallast 3.0, equipped with the Filtrex premium filter, has been tested and approved for use in very challenging water,” said Alfa Laval’s Peter Sahlén, R&D Manager, PureBallast. “It can operate at full flow down to a UV transmittance of 42%, which provides a high margin of security for vessels that operate globally.”

With the new Filtrex filter option, PureBallast 3.0 offers customers high performance under almost any conditions, anywhere in the world, the manufacturer said. The system can operate in fresh, brackish or marine waters of any temperature, and even in areas with very poor water quality.

Research from Alfa Laval, competitors and published journals shows that UV transmittance in harbors normally varies between 60% and 90%. However, UV transmittance as low as 49% has been measured in some cases. “With the Filtrex filter, Alfa Laval PureBallast 3.0 can ensure reliable ballast water treatment even in the most adverse waters,” Sahlén said.

The choice of a Filtrex filter gives PureBallast 3.0 customers additional operating benefits, yet it has no physical trade-offs. The filter design is compact, requiring only a very small footprint. Regardless whether a Filtrex filter or a standard Hydac filter is selected, PureBallast 3.0 is easy to install where space is constrained.

“This is really a win-win offering for customers,” Sahlén said. “Alfa Laval PureBallast 3.0 can operate in previously unthinkable areas, but without requiring additional area on board.”