Msuri privind managementul apei de balast, inclusiv SITUAII DE URGENProgress with Conventional Ballast Water SystemsThisKeyNotepresentationwilladdresssomeexperiencefromevaluating,installing and testing a Unitor BWT system and some reflections about the industrys challengesahead.Takingenvironmentalresponsibilityisgoodbusinessforall,andaspartofthemaritimeindustrywemustfocusoncomplianceandbeyond,toachievethefollowing importantbenefits:- Improvedoperationalperformanceandefficiency - Betterimageandprofiling- Reducedtotalcostofownership

- AhealthyenvironmentforthefutureTheWilhelmsenGroupbecameinvolvedinballastwatertreatment(BWT)throughtheacquisitionoftheUnitorGroupsome5yearsago.Unitorhadsinceabout2000 beenfollowingthedevelopment ofBWMregulation,culminatinginthe2004Con-vention. Being well positioned in the market with an extensive geographical net-work and a substantial customer base,Wilhelmsen was in no hurry to decide on whatBWTtechnologytochoose. TheWilhelmsenGroupdecidedrathertoevaluatetheemergingtechnologiesagainstcertainselectioncriteria:CompliancewiththeIMOstandard Easeofinstallation/retrofitting

Lowenergyconsumption Scalabletomeetlargerequirements Commerciallyattractive(attractivecostofownership) SafeandsimpletooperateAfter reviewing some 30 alternatives and having DNV assess the two alternatives onthetopofourlistwedecidedtogoforatechnologybeingdevelopedbytheSouthAfricancompanyRBT.TheRBTballastwatertreatmentsystemisbasedon:- Mechanical (Primary Treatment) mechanical patented design creating ultra-sonic cavitation,- Electrochemicaltoproducegasesthatassistthemechanicalprocess(NaOCl),

- Ozonetocreateadditionalcavitationgasesandassistwithsterilization,and Filtration.The RBT system is introduced to the market by Wilhelmsen Ships Equipment under the brandUnitorBallastWaterTreatmentsystem(UBWTS).Oursystemis expected to have the IMO final approval by MEPC 60 in March this year. Ship-board testing will be completed later thisspring.CurrentlyUBWTSsystemsareinstalledandinoperationontwooceangoingships. ThefirstistheWWshipMVToronto,(Figure1)acarandtruckcarrierbuiltin 2004, having a capacity of 6,500 cars, ballast capacity of 10,000 tons and 2 x 500 m3/h ballast pumps. TorontowasoutfittedwithUBWTSmatchingtheballastpump capacityduringdry-dockingin Japan. UBWTsysteminstalledonMVToronto(Source-WilhelmsenGroup) Themainchallengeswiththisinstallationwerethefollowing:

- Verylimitedoriginaldrawingsavailable. - Spacelimitationsbetweendecksi.e.heightoffilterstobeinstalled. Verycongestedspaceunderthedeckplatingwheretheballastpipingwasarranged.

Controlsystemintegrationtotheexistingballastcontrolsystem,whereweexperiencedatotal lackofsupportfromthesupplieroftheoriginalballastcontrolsystem,resultinginhavingthe UBWTSoperateindependentlyoftheshipballastsystem. Torontobeingdesignedforheavycargohasanautomaticheelcompensationsystem. Theoriginalballastpipinghadaliningthatrequireda56dayspreparationthat was not expected, that consequently created a lot of stress during the limited timeofthedry-dockingperiod.Ontheverypositivesidewastheverygoodrelationshipandsupportfromtheowner andthe crew.Vesselownerandcrewsupportarecrucialforasuccessfulretrofitin-stallation.ThesecondretrofitinstallationwasontheVLGCBergeDanuta,(Figure2)built in 2000,having a capacity of 78,550 m3,ballast capacity of 26,500 m3 and 2 x 800 m3/h.Berge Danuta is so far outfitted with one UBWTS with the capacity of 800 m3/htomatchone pump.However,theplanistoinstallasecondsystematalater stage. ThisBWTsystemwasinstalledcompletelywhiletheshipwasinoperation, withnooff-hireoftheship.

UBWTSinstalledonBergeDanuta(Source-WilhelmsenGroup)With regard to the Berge Danuta,there was a lack of original drawings,so the in-stallation was very much dependant on a very thorough inspection and accurate engineering.Wehadfantasticsupportfromtheshipcrewandtheowner.Mostof the actual installation was carried out by the crew members themselves.With the supportoftheowner,thissystem isintegratedintotheshipballastcontrolsystem.It would now be appropriate to address a number of concerns from shipyards as wellasfrom shipownershavingtocomplywiththeBWMrequirements,globalin theIMOBWMConvention aswellasregional.Mr.OkudafromMitsubshiHeavyIndustriesLtd.,hasprovidedtheauthoranopportunitytosharesomeofhisconsiderationsfromashipyardsperspectiverelated toimplementationofBWTsystems.Engineroomlay-out.Engineroomof modernshipsaredesignedtobeassmallaspossibletoincreasethecapacityofthecargoarea.Engineroomre-designisessentialforfittingBWMS. Ifnecessary,modificationorrenewalofhullformmustbeconsidered. Ballastpipingdiagramaswellaspipinglayoutinengineroomaremuchaffected bytheBWMStypeandwhichsupplierischosen. Difficulttostandardizetheballastpipingsystem. Increaseofelectricpowerdemandisoneofthebiggestissues. BWMSandballastpump(increasedpower)aretheconsumers.Ships carrying liquid cargoes such as LNG,LPG,crude oil,chemicals etc.,have peak load during unloading cargo. Ballasting operations are done during this peakloadperiodandtheincreaseof powerdemandmayrequireelectricgener-ationsystemcapacityincrease. OilandchemicaltankerswithpumproomsinhazardousareashavetohaveBWT systemsmeetingthehazardousareaclassification.i.e.beingintrinsicallysafefor shipsbuiltbefore2007andexplosionproofforshipsdesignedafter2007. Tankerswithaftpeakballasttanksmayhavetoinstallaseparateballasttreatment system in the engine room for the aft peak tank.Alternatively, can a pipe con-nection between engine room and pump room be accepted by SOLAS and the classsocieties?The last commentary I have would be to ask a question to the legislators.Currently,the treatmentoptionsfortankerownersareverylimitedasmostsystemsin the market today cannot easily be modified to meet the hazardous area requirement.The next concern is related to scalability and the options that owners of the very largetankers andbulkershave.Fromrecentstatistics,therearesome2,000tankers, 1,500 bulkers planned or under construction that are larger than 100,000 tons. WhataretheirBWToptions? WeseealotofBWTsystemsbeingintroducedtothe market, but again how many of these systems are practically suitable for pump-ingcapacitiesintherangeof510,000m3/hwithout havingtocompletelyredesign the engine room and add extra generator capacity? All of these very large vessels mustmeettheBWMConventionobligationsby2016.AnotherconcernisthedevelopmentofregionalBWMrequirementsthatdramatic-allyexceed theIMOstandard.CaliforniahasimposedaBWstandardthatis1,000 timesmorestringent thantheIMOstandard.TheUSCGispreparingastagedpro-cess to implement a similar standard for all US waters, dependent upon proven technologiesbeingavailable. AquestioninthisrespectisWilllandbasedlabora-tory testing will be representative for real life and shipboard conditions,and how many,if any,systemstodaycanmeetthisvirtually 0standard?Howisthisgoing toaffecttheshipownersdecisionaboutwhenandwhatto installonhisships?WealsohavetorealisethatinadditiontotheBWMregulations,overthenextten years the shipownershavetocomplywiththenewemissiontoairregulationsimposedinMARPOLAnnexVI,wheretheyhavetoeitheroperatetheirshipsondis-tillate fuels, install SOx/NOx abatement systems and consequently increase their operational costs or have massive investment costs in new equipment.On top of these requirements in the same period, we know there will be regulations and costs relatedtocarbonemissionswithadditional burdensonshipowners.