In ballast water treatment, solutions begin with a fundamental understanding of what is needed from the perspective of a customer.
“It’s our responsibility to provide shipping companies with technology that will enable them to trade and conduct business as easily and efficiently as possible,” says Dipl.-Ing. Sven Jadzinski, responsible for sales support in the Product Line Marine & Energy. “With an extremely compact system boasting a proven UV solo lamp technology, and the lowest electrical power draw in its class, the GEA BallastMaster marineX, powered by Trojan Marinex is outstanding to none.”
Combining the two treatment technologies into a single unit eliminates the need for additional connecting pipe, pipe elbows and valve connections.
Trojan Marinex and GEA
Trojan Marinex is a Trojan Technologies business. Trojan Technologies is one of the largest UV water treatment companies in the world, treating a collective flow rate of over 8 million m3/h. Trojan is known for creating, customizing and optimizing UV technology under high risk conditions, where human well-being depends on the equipment operating exactly as needed. Take New York City, for example. In order to meet stringent drinking water regulations, Trojan provided a UV treatment system that plays a critical role in supplying safe drinking water to nearly nine million people. This system treats a flow rate of 395,000 m3/h – that is equivalent to 66 VLCCs.
Direct access to nearly 40 years of water treatment, in combination with steadfast backing, has enabled Trojan to create a suite of ballast water treatment systems purpose-built for the marine environment, providing filtration and UV in a single, compact unit. GEA and Trojan have partnered to market and sell these systems under the product name GEA BallastMaster marineX, powered by Trojan Marinex.
“Trojan exists to serve customers, and our strategic partnership with GEA accomplishes this goal,” says Christian Williamson, Trojan Technologies’ senior vice president. “GEA’s reputation and extensive global service network in the marine industry is one of the best in the world, providing tens of thousands of vessel operators with 24/7 support and peace of mind. The GEA – Trojan strategic partnership couples a marine market leader with a water treatment market leader, and the result is shipowners having confidence knowing that they will receive a solution that will meet their desired needs.”
Interim solutions = unnecessary risks
Global compliance is the goal, but with IMO ratification on the horizon and a large group of system manufacturers still seeking United States Coast Guard (USCG) Type Approval, owners are in the position of proceeding with an investment that may not meet their longer-term needs.
Vessels sailing in US waters will be required to adhere with USCG ballast water discharge standards and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Vessel General Permit (VGP), in addition to state ballast water regulations. As a temporary measure, the USCG is accepting the use of Alternate Management System (AMS) that are Typed Approved by other countries on the basis of the existing Guidelines (G8). However, vessel owners understand that AMS is an interim solution and their vessels will ultimately have to be equipped with a USCG Type Approved system if they’re bound for ports in the United States.
AMS designation does not provide the manufacturer or the vessel owner any guarantee that the system will eventually qualify for USCG Type Approval. The specific risk to a vessel owner relying merely on an AMS system is that the system could need expensive modification or complete replacement should it not ultimately be Type Approved by the USCG.
Therefore, vessel owners should carefully assess a ballast water treatment supplier’s ability to achieve USCG Type Approval, question any proclaimed guarantees, and take action with shipyards by providing minimum specification requirements to ensure longer-term interests are considered, and risks mitigated.
Achieving USCG Type Approval is not an easy task, and can take two to three years of considerable effort and investment by the supplier, with no guarantee of full certification.
The USCG (US Coast Guard) type Approval process)
On course for USCG Type Approval
Based on the conviction that USCG Type Approval will become the global standard in ballast water treatment certifications, Trojan Marinex has executed a comprehensive strategy to be one of the first suppliers to obtain it.
- Tested in accordance with the USEPA Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Ballast Water Protocol
Why it matters: The ETV Ballast Water Protocol is a key testing requirement for systems to obtain USCG Type Approval. Its testing methods are more rigorous, highly prescriptive and consistent, compared to IMO G8 guidelines.
- Tested at USCG-approved facilities
Why it matters: The USCG requires that Type Approval testing be completed with a certified Independent Laboratory (IL). This ensures that testing is completed in an accurate and unbiased manner, to the highest of standards.
- Tested under poor water quality conditions, among the lowest UV transmittances in the industry
Why it matters: Many existing IMO Type Approved systems have been tested in higher clarity water (high UV transmittance). It is expected that these systems will not be able to treat lower clarity waters than to what they have been tested to under USCG regulations. The UV transmission value will be noted on the Type Approval certificate, significantly limiting the applicability of the system in poorer water qualities.
- Tested under high flow conditions
Why it matters: Many existing IMO Type Approved systems have only been tested at relatively low flow rates (e.g., < 250 m3/h), and empirical models and simulations were used in an effort to show performance at higher flow rates. While many systems have been tested at higher flows in shipboard applications, it is critical that land-based testing be conducted on these systems too. Parameters can be more closely controlled and land-based tests typically have much higher organism counts, which effectively simulates worst-case conditions.
- Tested in fresh water, brackish water and marine water
Why it matters: Salinity in ports and harbors around the world vary significantly, therefore it is necessary to test in all salinities, including fresh water. System suppliers that test in only two salinities may obtain USCG Type Approval, however, similar to issued AMS certificates, these systems will only be permitted to operate in water salinities that were tested and approved. If a system has not been tested in fresh water, it will not be permitted to ballast in fresh water.
In March 2015, a formal application for USCG Type Approval was submitted for the Trojan Marinex BWT system – this was the first application in the industry.
Global service and support
Based on the conviction that USCG Type Approval will become the global standard in ballast water treatment certifications, Trojan Marinex has executed a comprehensive strategy to be one of the first suppliers to obtain it.
Developing a quality ballast water treatment system is one thing; being able to provide global service and support is another. With dedicated GEA experts in more than 50 sales and service companies and over 20 authorized workshops throughout the world, GEA says vessel owners can focus on their business knowing that, when needed, an integrated service network is on standby, ready to assist.
