The Polish and Swiss shipowners' fleets will be equipped with Alfa Laval's PureBallst 3 in order for them to comply with the Ballast Water Management Convention.
The current deal with Polsteam follows a similar one from mid-2017 which covered six vessels. The new agreement brings the total to 60 systems, of which all will handle large flows of at least 1,000 m3/hr (incl. 16 systems for handling 2,000 m3/hr or more). Nova Ship Tech has decided to retrofit 34 ships.
"The UV technology used by PureBallast 3 will be simpler and more cost-effective than electrochlorination, even for our very large systems," Grzegorz Wardzyński, Director of the Technical Department, Polsteam, explained. He added, "But it was equally important to choose a supplier who could deliver now and still be there to support us long into the future. Knowledge, service and parts will be critical to ensure compliance in the years our vessels have ahead."
Francesco Costagliola, Nova Ship Tech SA Technical Manager, also said, "Intervening in the existing structures and systems of ships in operation is much more complex than a whole newbuild project. Alfa Laval PureBallast 3 has a compact and highly flexible structure that facilitates installation as a retrofit."
"Leading actors like Polsteam and Nova Ship Tech SA are now pursuing ballast water treatment system retrofits in earnest. In light of recent directives from authorities, they are keen to secure not just the right technology, but also a stable partner who will be there to support them in the long term," Anders Lindmark, Head of Alfa Laval PureBallast, summed up.
The Ballast Water Management Convention, adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 2004 and which entered into force on 8 September 2017, aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another, by establishing standards and procedures for the management and control of ships' ballast water and sediments.
Photo: Polsteam