Ballast water treatment system: the first orders

Alfa Laval has received a breakthrough order for PureBallast, the chemical-free ballast water treatment system: it will be installed on vessels owned by E.R Schiffahrt of Germany

The Alfa Laval PureBallast system combines a chemical-free technology with a compact design that fits easily into the engine room.

The system meets the requirements defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations.

"It is of course a great pleasure for us to get this breakthrough order of our PureBallast system", says Lars Renstrom, President and CEO of Alfa Laval: "The market for ballast water treatment system is expected to be a SEK billion market and our aim is to take the leading position".

The Alfa Laval PureBallast equipment will be installed aboard four new ships owned by German ship owner E.R Schiffahrt.

These new ships, scheduled for completion in 2008, will be one of the first to comply with the pending IMO regulations.

The total order value is about SEK12 million.

"Our policy at E.R Schiffahrt is to combine productive container shipping with sound environmental practice," says Mr Hans Huisman, E.R Schiffahrt Senior Director for Newbuildings: "For that reason we have concentrated our search for water ballast treatment systems to non-chemical orientated solutions.

PureBallast fits completely in our design goals".

The system, developed in cooperation between Alfa Laval and Wallenius Water, was in July granted Final Approval by IMO, as the first such system in the world.

Alfa Laval PureBallast is the first truly viable ballast water treatment system.

Its biological performance has been confirmed in numerous independent tests, the environmental performance is confirmed by IMO.

The introduction of invasive species through ballast water has been identified by IMO as one of the most urgent threats to the world marine environment.

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