Alfa Laval has received U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) type approval for the third generation of its ballast water treatment system, PureBallast.
The USCG based its type approval of PureBallast, which was granted 23 December 2016, on CMFDA/FDA testing conducted at DHI in Denmark. This testing was performed using the same hardware, power consumption and flow as the IMO-certified version of the PureBallast 3 family. Outside the United States, where PureBallast has been type approved using the MPN method, the USCG certified system will operate in IMO mode and be able to treat water with UV transmittance as low as 42 per cent.
Four UV Reactor Sizes
PureBallast has a flexible construction based on four different UV reactor sizes. This allows for optimised sizing and competitive solutions over a wide flow range. The current type approval covers flows of 150-3000 m3/h based on the 300 and 1000 m3/h reactor sizes, while type approval for systems based on 170 and 600 m3/h reactors is expected soon.
The delay between approvals is due to the evaluation of the mathematically modelled reactor scaling, which is a new process for the USCG. Additional time is needed to review the already completed verification from the independent DNV GL lab.
Revised IMO G8 Guidelines
Besides meeting the demands of the USCG, the Alfa Laval PureBallast 3 family is prepared for the revised IMO G8 guidelines determined by the recent MEPC70 meeting. Pending a few final tests of biological efficacy, a completed application for an updated G8 certificate is expected during the first half of 2017.
