USA: Siemens, Ventville Introduce SeaCURE Ballast Water Management System

Ventville BV, an agent for the Siemens Water Technologies, has introduced a SeaCURE™ system, developed to avoid water pollution caused by toxic organisms originating in ballast water.

This ballast water management system is based on physical separation by filtration and treatment with hypochlorite produced from seawater. It is reliable and it does not require any chemicals. The Ballast Water Convention imposes the obligation on all ships to secure ballast water cleaning by 2016, thus this new development complies with all necessary requirements.

Currently, the SeaCURE™ system is undergoing considerable trials prior to the final seal set for the mid-2012. Being ideal for deep sea and offshore markets, the ballast water treatment system can now purify ballast water from about 600 cubic meters per hour.

Major functions of the filter in the SeaCURE ballast water management system are to remove or break larger organisms using a 40 micron weave wire screen, and to provide reliable, non-stop operation at high sediment loads while minimizing backwash flow. The patent pending biofouling control provided to the filter assures its reliable function and minimizes maintenance requirements of the system.

For electrochlorination, the SeaCURE ballast water mangement system uses proven technology to oxidize and eliminate aquatic invasive species (AIS) with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Sodium hypochlorite has been used for many years to prevent marine growth in the seawater piping and heat transfer systems of land-based, offshore and shipboard installations. The most efficient method of hypochlorination is to produce sodium hypochlorite in-situ, electrolytically, on demand, by using Concentric Tube Electrode (CTE). This hypochlorination technology is well-known in the maritime industry as the Chloropac system by Siemens Water Technologies.

Proprietary control logic of the SeaCURE ballast water management system monitors the chlorine dose level necessary to provide the required efficacy. Biocide dosing level is variable and depends on ballast water conditions – the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics that, cumulatively, is called chlorine demand.

The SeaCURE ballast water management system provides a technical solution designed to comply with International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention D-2 regulations for ballast water management.

[mappress]

Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, January 13, 2012; Image: water.siemens