Damen ballast water prefiltration barge
Many ports found on rivers have a debris degree dramatically more than the degree that ships’ onboard ballast water therapy systems are evaluated versus.
In action, Damen Shipyards Group has actually created a ballast water prefiltration barge (BWPF) to help vessels ballasting in such ports in abiding by the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention.
“The level to which onboard systems are tested demonstrates an ability to handle sediment levels up to 50 mg per liter,” states Damen Green Solutions item profile supervisorMatthijs Schuiten “However, at some terminals, this level is exceeded – sometimes considerably. We recently ran tests on a waterway in the U.S., close to a harbor, for example, and found sediment levels 30 times above this.”
Notable instances of essential rivers that go beyond the degree to which onboard systems are evaluated consist of the Huangpu Jiang in Shanghai, the River Thames in London and also the Red and also Mississippi rivers in the UNITED STATE
“Such high levels of sediment can cause ballast water filter blockage,” Schuiten proceeds. “This can make for huge operational challenges, preventing cargo unloading or ballast water intake.”
Damen’s response is the brand-new BWPF barge, made to go together with a vessel at incurable and also filter the debris prior to ballast water is taken aboard.
“Pre-filtering the water in this manner ensures the ballast water system onboard is not blocked due to sediment,” statesSchuiten “Having such capabilities enables terminals to add value with an additional service for calling vessels. With the IMO legislation’s passage into law, we expect to see demand for such services in the near future. Developing the BWPF Barge is Damen’s way of making sure that, when the need arises, we are prepared to respond quickly.”
The BWPF barge can refine approximately 4,000 cu.m water per hr with a debris degree anything in between 50 and also 1,500 mg per litre. Filtration is offered in between 10 and also 50 micron, to fit differing debris dimensions. The whole ballast water filtering system fits nicely inside a typical 40′ feet container, making logistics uncomplicated.
