The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has identified the introduction of invasive marine species into new environments via ships’ ballast water, attached to ships’ hulls and via other vectors as one of the four greatest threats to the world’s oceans.

Despite general agreement as to the importance of the ballast water problem, arriving at a solution has proven to be a difficult challenge. Any ballast water treatment system must be not only economical and effective, but also safe and practicable for both ship and crew. Up to now, such considerations have severely limited the practices available for avoiding ballast water contamination.

IMO’s ballast water division has emphasized this complexity in its guidelines for achieving a ballast water solution. A successful system must maintain a delicate balance in which biological effectiveness is only one consideration. Not only must the system work, it must do so without environmental compromises, and it must avoid putting the user’s safety and profitability at risk.

Last month Alfa Laval officially released PureBallast, claiming it to be the first viable system for preventing the transport of potentially invasive species via ballast water.

Alfa Laval chose Greenwich for the release of PureBallast, its chemical-free system for ballast water treatment. PureBallast, whose technology was developed in cooperation with Wallenius Water, arrives more than two years in advance of IMO regulations to prevent the transport of potentially invasive species.

IMO legislation designed to combat the problem is set to take effect in 2009. Until now, however, no treatment system has been commercially viable or able to meet the proposed requirements without chemicals.

‘PureBallast’s chemical-free technology is unique in that it solves this environmental problem without contributing to another’, said Peter Carlberg, general manager of Alfa Laval Marine & Diesel.

Like other products in Alfa Laval’s environmental portfolio, PureBallast is compact and designed for real life conditions at sea. While removing microorganisms to IMO-compliant levels without the use of chemicals, it accommodates the short and long term needs of shipyards, ship owners and ship operators.

‘In developing PureBallast together with Wallenius Water, we’ve been careful to look at both local and global requirements, said Carlberg. ‘Though the transport of invasive species in ballast water is a worldwide issue, it’s individual ships that must carry the solution. Simple installation, a small footprint, operating economy and ease of use are all essential factors that are just as important as IMO compliance.’

PureBallast, which has met the stringent IMO ballast water requirements in pilot tests supervised by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), is well underway with the year long official approval process. Moreover, its ability to perform at sea has been confirmed in three years of full scale onboard tests.

MJ Information No: 22628