Aalborg Industries' ballast water system lands Basic Approval
22 October 2009
In July 2009, Aalborg Industries Water Treatment Ltd. (joint venture between Aalborg Industries A/S and Aquaworx ATC GmbH) received a Basic Approval for its AquaTriComb™-System from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) granted international approval of the new process, and Type Approval can now follow. The Type Approval is expected in 2010 after the accomplishment of sea and land-based tests.
The requirements for ballast water treatment systems are very strict. Compared to most other systems, the AquaTriComb™-System applies no disinfectant solutions or chemical additives whatsoever; instead, ecologically friendly UV light disinfects the ballast water after filtration on a continuous basis. The concept is unique in that it combines UV light and ultrasound for water disinfection. The ultrasonic devices are placed in closed units and are totally harmless to the operators.
Type Approval has been applied for with German authorities, more specifically the Federal Office for Maritime Shipping and Hydrography (BSH = Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrografie) supported by the Federal Office for Environment (UBA= Umwelt Bundes Amt).
Aalborg Industries Water Treatment Ltd. has already had a lot of positive feedback and interest from shipowners and shipyards because of this new eco-friendly disinfection system. Due to the small footprint and the modular construction it is very well suited for retrofit packages. Low power consumption is expected to secure significant operating cost benefits for shipowners, in addition to the fact that no additional costs for the safe storage and disposal of the chemical substances are required.
“We were especially pleased to receive the Basic Approval after a relatively short time on the market and consider this a confirmation of our innovative technology”, says Mr Peter Falk, General Manager of Aquaworx, the joint venture partner of Aalborg Industries A/S.
“I would like to thank Aquaworx and its excellent engineers for a job well done so far. We look forward to bringing an ecologically friendly ballast water treatment system into the market”, says President & CEO Jan Vestergaard Olsen, Aalborg Industries A/S.
On ballast water:
Conservative estimates claim that ships pump around 10 billion cubic meters of water annually into special ballast tanks for stability and to navigate the world’s oceans safely. Ballast water stabilizes ships and prevents deformation of the ship’s hull when it is only partly loaded. Bacteria, algae, crabs and even fish become stowaways as ballast water is introduced to the tanks. They are thus spread around the globe and can displace other native organisms. This not only jeopardises the marine environment, it can also cause considerable economic losses – for example in the fishing industry when invasive jellyfish consume native fish or fish larvae’s food supply. Diseases such as cholera, harmful to human health, can also be introduced by untreated ballast water.
On ballast water regulations:
The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water & Sediments was adopted by consensus at a Diplomatic Conference at IMO in London on Friday 13 February 2004. The Conference was attended by representatives of 74 States, one Associate Member of IMO; and observers from two intergovernmental organisations and 18 non-governmental international organisations.
The Convention will enter into force 12 months after ratification by 30 States, representing 35 percent of world merchant shipping tonnage.
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Aalborg Industries is an international group with subsidiaries in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Dubai, Singapore, Japan, China, Korea, Brazil, Vietnam, Australia and the USA. A network of agents support the sales activities. The revenue outside Denmark amounts to 95%.
Production of the Group’s products takes place at its own factories in Denmark, China, Brazil and Vietnam as well as at selected external outsourcing partners. The number of employees totals about 2,700.
Aalborg Industries’ core business is to produce, supply and maintain steam, heat and safety solutions for marine and maritime oil and gas applications, i.e. steam boilers, waste heat recovery boilers, thermal oil heaters, burners, control systems as well as heat exchangers and inert gas systems. As a supplement to the activities in the global marine and offshore markets, Aalborg Industries supplies boiler plants and services within selected land-based sectors.
The Aalborg Industries Group also develops green solutions to support our customers in building and operating their commercial fleet to the highest standard for low environmental impact.
In May 2009, Aalborg Industries A/S, Denmark, entered a joint venture cooperation with Aquaworx Deutschland GmbH, Germany, for testing and marketing of a ballast water treatment system. The system will be marketed by a new business unit set up in Singapore, Aalborg Industries Water Treatment Ltd.
