Environmentally Friendly Ballast Water Solution with Unique Advantages

Built on nearly two decades of expertise in the global water disinfection and treatment market, Atlantium’s proprietary UV-based ballast water management system (BWMS), Purestream™, is making waves in the maritime industry by enhancing waterway biosecurity. 

As a global leader who is committed to delivering effective, environmentally friendly UV solutions, Atlantium has leveraged its technical know-how and proven ability to deliver a disruptive best-in-class UV-based solution developed to meet the IMO D-2 standard and the USCG Ballast Water Discharge Standard (BWDS). 

In October, Atlantium completed all testing for IMO and USCG type approval for Purestream under the independent laboratory of Lloyds Register, and testing facility of NIVA and FORCE.

 “We are excited to announce that the Purestream system has completed all testing for IMO and USCG type approval,” said Atlantium CTO Ytzhak Rozenberg. 

Purestream, which is unmatched by any other technology with its continuous flow control and proprietary sensor technology, completed several milestones that are a further testament to the technical efficacy of the system.

“For the IMO and USCG, all testing was successfully completed on the first run,” Rozenberg explained. “For the IMO, Purestream completed one-pass treatment for seawater and two-pass treatment for brackish and freshwater with UV transmittance (UVT) levels of 40% and above. For the USCG, Purestream was tested at 40% UVT; the lowest in the market.”

Atlantium CEO Yariv Abramovich added, “We would like to thank our partners for their continued support and contribution to our success and look forward to continuing our efforts to deliver economical and effective environmentally friendly solutions by leveraging the company’s wealth of knowledge, expertise and technical know-how.”

Competitive Edge 

As more stringent ballast water regulations continue to emerge, more companies are facing challenges in meeting compliance requirements. In addition, shipowners are faced with the complex task of evaluating the many different BWMS available on the market which are often based on significantly different technologies each with their own advantages and limitations. Moreover, these systems are to be installed on different types of vessels with various operational profiles, resulting in a combined matrix of vessel/operator requirements and BWMS features/limitations. 

With so many different BWMS available on the market, what makes Purestream BWMS unique? Unlike chemical-based treatment solutions such as electrochlorination and chemical injection, Purestream is a nonchemical, UV-based BWMS solution that doesn’t require additional equipment to mitigate the risk of hazardous substance and byproducts management. Because there is no need to store a neutralizing chemical on board, the system boasts a small footprint which makes it ideal for both new and retrofit projects. 

In addition, Purestream is suitable for treatment on all water types and temperatures and is not limited by salinity or heating requirements unlike competitive systems. As a result, there is no limitation on ship operation that would require the vessel to take on additional seawater volume before entering lakes or rivers, or alternatively store salt and a mixing tank on board. While the advantages of UV-based BWMS are clear, not all UV-based systems are created equal. 

Unlike other UV-based ballast water systems available on the market, Purestream is the only UV-based BWMS technology capable of treating seawater ballast water to meet the BWDS with a single pass per the IMO. Atlantium’s proprietary One-pass™ approach requires operation of the technology only during ballasting, there are no requirements for operation during de-ballasting. This unique attribute of Atlantium’s technology reduces its overall power consumption by 50% when compared to traditional UV-based BWMS that must treat during the ballasting and de-ballasting steps to ensure a discharge effluent that is in regulatory compliance. 

Furthermore, for the USCG, Purestream is the only UV-based technology to demonstrate its efficacy at the minimum retention time (≤ 24-hours). This ensures that ship owners and operators can benefit from effective and proven treatment of their total ballast capacity within 24 hours or less; reducing limitations on the ship’s operation. This is the lowest tested and validated retention time of any BWMS technology. For both the IMO and USCG, the Purestream technology is effective even under the worst water conditions that include UV transmittance (UVT) levels as low as 40% UVT. This operational advantage reduces the risk of non-treatment to shipowners and provides them with a solution despite less than favorable water quality conditions. Another advantage of Purestream is its flexible design which allows for modular or skid-based installation. The modular design includes the ballast filter, system components and the vertical-mounted UV unit that are installed in the space constrained engine room as separate pieces. 

Finally, the system’s real-time dose monitoring and advanced control system continuously adjusts the flow based on the actual dose and UVT levels. This innovative approach to system control enables Purestream to treat higher flowrates compared to competitive technologies which often employ a step approach toward operation (e.g., 100%, 50% and 0%). 

Beyond the Technology 

Testing and validation - Revisions to the BWMS type approval testing will require that as of 2021 all installed units pass biological tests during the BWMS commissioning process to demonstrate the ability of the system to meet the regulated levels. However, recent reports have shown that 21% of installed BWMS fail to meet D-2 requirements. This worrying trend demonstrates the challenges faced by shipowners when selecting the right BWMS and stresses the importance of partnering with a BWMS manufacturer who can deliver a robust ballast water treatment solution that is properly designed and integrated into the vessel, while also being a credible water treatment expert who can design fail-proof water treatment systems. 

Technical know-how - Unlike most companies in the market, Atlantium is unique in its ability to develop, validate, integrate and apply a proven UV-based BWMS. Its knowledgeable team can help optimize operations by guiding engineering firms in the proper installation and operation of the ballast system. From system specification and integration to working with engineering firms to achieve correct installation to providing reliable maintenance and support globally, Atlantium ensures that shipowners and operators receive a complete and proven ballast water solution. 

 

This article is sponsored by Atlantium. For more information, visit www.atlantium.com or [email protected]