A major consequence of global trade is the transport of up to 12 billion tons of ballast water per year on the oceans. This ballast water is important for maintaining the stability, trim, and structural integrity of large ocean-going vessels. However, ingestion and subsequent release of ballast water can transfer invasive aquatic species from one ocean to another, posing threats to local ecosystems and biodiversity. According to United States Coast Guard (USCG) regulations and the IMO Convention on Ballast Water Management, vessel operators must implement a ballast water management plan to ensure that all organisms present in ballast water are neutralized. While connection to port ballast water treatment facilities is possible, it is more common for ships to be equipped with their own on-board systems.
In the world’s largest shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Ulsan Korea, 6 ships of 6,900 TEU (Twenty Food Equivalent Unit) each were built for a large shipping company from Hamburg.
The container ships, 332 meters long and 48.2 meters wide, were equipped with a ballast water system to protect the environment in accordance with IMO regulations, but also to ensure energy-efficient operation and low maintenance.
The container ships will each be equipped with an OPS-800 system that treats a ballast water flow rate of 800 m³/h using the proven Filtration Group technology in accordance with the applicable IMO D2 standard.
The OPS system consists of:
Even the stricter requirements sought by the USA (USCG standards) can be met without any problems, as the IMO specifications were clearly exceeded in both shore and sea tests.
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